George  Washington  Flowers 
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COLONEL  FLOWERS 


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RE-UNION  OF  THE 


Davis,  Noble  and  Kinder  Families 

Held  at  Bethel  M,  E.  Church 
October  27th,  1885. 

ARLY  in  the  eighteenth  century,  allured  by  the 
salubrity  of  the  climate,  the  fertility  of  the  soil 
and  the  beneficent  government  of  William  Penn 
and  Lord  Baltimore,  there  settled  within  a 
radius  of  ten  miles  from  a  point  midway  between 
Bridgeville,  Sussex  County,  Delaware,  and  Federalsburg, 
Caroline  County,  Maryland,  three  families  the descendents 
of  whom,  now  numbered  by  the  hundreds,  have  literally 
made  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose,  and  have  given 
character  and  distinctiveness  to  that  section  of  country. 
Although  one  of  the  families,  the  Noble,  was  originally  of 
the  followers  of  George  Fox  and  Wm.  Penn,  all  three  of  the 
families,  the  Davis  and  Kinder,  especially,  early  joined  the 
societies  of  John  Wesley,  and,  accordingly,  in  1781  built 
themselves  a  neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship,  called 
at  first,  Brown's  Chapel,  but  afterwards  named  Bethel;  and 
it  has  been  in  reality  a  very  "House  of  God"  to  thousands 
who  have  already  gone  to  worship  in  the  "Upper  Sanc- 
tuary." The  old  house  is  still  standing  and  in  a  very  good 
state  of  preservation,  although  not  more  than  $700  have 
been  spent  in  repairs  since  it  was  first  built;  the  pic- 
ture forming  the  frontispiece  to  this  pamphlet  gives  a  very 
good  view  of  the  time-honored  sanctuary.    The  centennial 


5 


of  its  existence  was  celebrated  with  appropriate  ceremonies 
in  a  three  days  meeting  in  August,  1881. 

During  a  recent  visit  of  Rev.  Edward  Davis, the  present 
pastor  of  the  old  church,  to  Dr.  Jacob  Noble,  of  Tay- 
lor's Island,  Dorchester  Count}7,  Mar3dand,  the  Dr.  broach- 
ed the  idea  of  a  re-union  of  the  three  families,  at  the  time- 
honored  sanctuary,  Bethel.  Mr.  Davis,  at  his  next  ap- 
pointment, mentioned  the  conversation  between  the  Dr. 
and  himself  and  asked  for  an  expression  of  the  sentiments 
of  the  congregation,  which  was  a  unanimous  one  in  favor 
of  such  a  re-union,  and  the  time  set,  October  27th.  A 
committee  of  arrangements  was  subsequently  appointed, 
composed  of  Mrs.  Mary  Davis,  Mr.  Joseph  T. 
Davis,  Mrs.  Castelia  Corbin,  Mrs.  Emily  Davis,  Mr.  S. 
Maddux  Noble  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  S.  Warren,  to 
which  committee  Rev.  Edward  Davis  was  afterwards  added. 
The  committee  met  and  elected  Mr.  E.  Frank  Davis,  of 
Federalsburg,  to  have  charge  of  the  singing,  and  Mrs. 
James  H.  Davis,  of  Federalsburg,  to  preside  at  the  organ; 
they  also  adopted  following  programme  which,  on  October 
27th,  was  carried  into  execution. 

PROGRAMME. 

Voluntary  by  Miss  Bertie  Davis. 

Organization,  by  electing  Rev.  P.  H.  Rawlins  to  the 
chair,  and  Isaac  S.  Warren,  Secretary. 

Anthem,  "Jerusalem  My  Glorious  Home." 

Prayer  by  Rev.  W.  W,  Morgan. 

Singing,  No.  1105,  Methodist  Hymnal. 

Historical  sketch  of  Davis  family,  by  Rev.  Edward 
Davis. 

Singing  by  Rev.  Edward  Davis  and  family,  '  %ead  Me 
Gently  Home,  Father." 

Singing,  No.  789,  Hymnal. 

RECESS  UNTIL  1.30  O'CLOCK,  P.  M. 


6 


Voluntary  by  Miss  Bertie  Davis. 

Singing  by  James  H.  Davis  and  family,  "Angels  are 
Waiting  for  Me." 

Historical  sketch  of  Kinder  family,  by  Samuel  W.  Kin- 
der, Esq. 

Singing,  No.  798,  Hymnal. 

Historical  sketch  of  Noble  family,  by  Dr.  j.  I*.  Noble, 
represented  by  Col.  James  M.  McCarter. 

Singing,  No.  796,  Hymnal. 

Speech  by  Rev.  P.  H.  Rawlins. 

Singing,  No.  442,  Hymnal. 

Speech  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Milby,  P.  E. 

Singing  by  Rev.  Edward  Davis  and  family,  *  'God  be 
with  you  till  we  meet  again." 

Speech  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Robinson,  late  pastor. 

Singing,  No.  807,  Hymnal. 

Dismission  by  Rev.  W.  E.  England. 

Before  the  meeting  came  to  a  close  a  resolution  was 
adopted  appointing  a  committee  to  have  the  proceedings 
published,  consisting  of  Samuel  W.  Kinder,  Jonathan  T. 
Noble,  and  Joseph  T.  Davis,  Esqs.,  to  which  committee 
Mr.  Isaac  S.  Warren  was  afterwards  added. 

The  27th  of  October  1885  dawned  a  beautiful,  balmy 
day,  such  a  day  as  only  October  can  give;  the  woods,  gor- 
geous with  their  autumnal  tints,  the  arrangements  perfect, 
the  music  inspiring,  the  speeches  stirring,  and  taken  as  a 
whole,  a  most  enjoyable  day;  the  mid-day  meal  was  eaten 
in  the  shade  of  the  old  trees,  which,  had,  for  upwards  of  a 
century,  cast  their  shadows  athwart  the  Temple  raised  by 
the  Fathers. 

There  were  upwards  of  five  hundred  persons  present, 
most  of  whom  could  lay  claim  to  kinship  with  one  or  more 
of  the  families;  and  the  reunion  of  the  Davis,  Noble  and 
Kinder  families,  marks  an  epoch  in  the  local  history  of 
this  section  of  the  Peninsula. 


A  Historical  Sketch 


OF  THE 

Davis  Family 

As  raised  up  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bethel  M*  E.  Church, 

By  Rev.  E.  Davis. 

In  giving  a  correct  historical  statement  of  this  family,  we 
ought  to  be  able  to  go  back  to  the  first  one  of  this  connection 
that  settled  in  this  country.  But  of  that  we  have  but  little  in- 
formation. Therefore,  our  knowledge  of  that  part  is  very  limited, 
and,  of  course,  we  can  say  but  little.  However,  we  have  learned 
through  the  older  members  of  the  family  that  we  here  represent, 
that  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  or  more,  there  was  a 
man  came  over  from  England,  by  the  name  of  Solomon  Davis, 
and  settled  in  Dorchester  County,  Maryland,  near  what  was  called 
at  that  time  "North  West  Fork  Bridge,"  but  now  known  as  the 
town  of  Federalsburg.  We  are  informed  that  this  man  was  mar- 
ried three  times,  and  had  born  unto  him  nine  children  by  each 
wife,  making  a  total  of  twenty-seven  children. 

How  many  of  these  children  lived  to  grow  up  to  maturity, 
we  have  no  records  to  show,  or  what  became  of  those  that  did 
grow  up  to  manhood  or  womanhood,  we  have  but  little  knowledge 
with  the  exception  of  one,  and  that  one  we  here  represent  to-day 
in  this  social  gathering,  and  to  this  one  our  sketch  will  be  chiefly 
confined. 

Lemuel  Davis,  son  of  Solomon  Davis,   settled   in  Caroline 
f    z^^oun^y^^ary1tano!7  over  one  hundred  years  ago,  within  about  two 
miles  of  this  place  where  Bethel  M.  E.  Church  now  stands.  He 
/   was  married  to  Miss  Marj  Ann  Ndble,  and  raised  nine  children, 
six  sons  and  three  daugnfers, ~oy ibe  following  names:  William, 
;.'     Solomon,  Tilghman,  Ennals,  Caleb,  Sovern,  Elizabeth,  Kitturah 
\    and  Amelia.  Each  of  these  grew  up  to  maturity,  married  and  became 
the  head  of  families.     William  Davis  had  born  unto  him  eleven 
children,  Solomon  Davis  lia^^borni  ^unto  him  eight  children, 
Tilghman  Davis  had  born  unto  him  nine  children,  Ennals  Davis 


r 


8 


had  born  unto  him  six  children,  Caleb  P.  Davis  had  born  unto 
him  fourteen  children,  Sovern  Davis  had  born  unto  him  four 
children,  Elizableth  Davis  Vickers  had  born  unto  her  four 
children,  Kitturah  Davis  Cannon  had  born  unto  her  three  child- 
ren, Amelia  Davis  Williams  had  born  unto  her  two  children, 
making  a  total  of  sixty-one  grandchildren. 

A  majority  of  these  grandchildren  grew  up  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  have  married  and  raised  up  children,  so  that  the 
number  of  great-grandchildren  of  Lemuel  Davis  far  exceeds  the 
number  of  grandchildren. 

From  the  best  information  that  we  have  at  command,  the 
number  of  great-grandchildren,  born  unto  Lemuel  Davis,  was 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  and  the  number  cf  great,  great 
grandchildren,  born  unto  Lemuel  Davis,  was  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy ;  so  that,  if  the  children,  grand- 
children, great  grandchildren,  great,  great  grandchildren,  of 
Lemuel  Davis,  were  all  living  and  here  at  this  re-union  to-day, 
we  should  have  about  400  persons  of  the  descendants  of  Lemuel 
Davis.  But  all  the  children  of  Lemuel  Davis  have  died  and 
passed  away  many  years  ago;  and  of  the  sixty-one  grand  children, 
there  are  but  seven  living  today;  but  of  the  great,  and  great,  great 
grandchildren,  there  are  many  living,  but  we  had  no  means  of 
ascertaining  their  accurate  number.  Lemuel  Davis,  together  with 
Jacob  Kinder  and  White  Brown,  were  the  leading  men  in  the 
erecting  and  building  of  this  time-honored  Church  in  which  we 
are  assembled  to-day,  which  has  been  standing  now  one  hundred 
and  four  years. 

Lemuel  Davis  was  a  plain,  unassuming  christian  gentleman, 
f   uprighTTn  alT'Eis  dealings  with  his  fellow  men;  he  was  also  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  filling  the  local 
ranks,  as  a  methodist  preacher,  with  great  credit  to  himself  and 
I.,  the  church.     So  that  the  mantle  of  this  man  of  God,  this  father 

in  Israel,  has  seemingly  fallen  upon  his  posterity,  for  there  has 
been  a  minister  of  the  gospel  connected   with  this  family,  and 
\J'r&      t'L-    the  M.  E.  Church,  and  retaining  the  name  of  Davis,  with  the 
exception  of  a  very  short  interval,  for  about  one    hundred  years. 
Another  feature  in  connection  with  this  family  is  worthy  of 
Vi  hvU    notice,  that   the  great  majority  of  the  descendants  of  Lemuel 
Davis,  have  been,  and  are,  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  are  a  church-going  people. 
^/[^^fWilliam  Davis,  one  of  the  sons  of  Lemuel  Davis,  was  a  very 
popular  local  preacher  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  served  the  people, 
at  Bethel,  faithfully,  for  many  years.     The  record  shows  that  he 
married  over  200  couples  during  his  ministry. 


( 


9 


And  we  would  further  state  in  connection  with  this  family, 
that,  by  an  allwise  Providence,  an  event  has  occurred  which  is 
very  rare  in  the  history  of  Methodism.  That  is  this;  that  one  of 
the  grand  sons  of  Lemuel  Davis  has  become,  and  is  at  this  time, 
the  pastor  of  a  people  that  worship  God  in  the  same  church  that 
the  grandfather  took  so  much  interest  in  building,  and  in  which 
the  grandfather  and  one  of  his  sons  preached  the  gospel  as  local 
preacher  for  many  years.  And  no  doubt  this  event  has  had 
something  to  do  in  leading  our  brother,  Dr.  Jacob  I*  Noble,  to 
conceive  the  idea  of  proposing  this  family  gathering;  we  call  it 
a  family  gathering,  because  the  Nobles,  Kinders  and  Davises  have 
married  and  intermarried,  unil  it  seems  almost  like  one  great 
family,  and  as  we  look  over  these  families  here  assembled  to-day, 
in  this  time-honored  temple,  built  by  the  hands  of  our  fore- 
fathers, we  can  truthfully  say  that  we  are  "not  ashamed  to  call 
}ou  brethren."  And  this  re-union  of  these  christian  families 
here  assembled  to-day,  causes  our  minds  to  go  back  to  many  long 
years  ago,  and  to  bring  to  us,  by  memory,  many  pleasant  and  de- 
lightful recollections  of  the  past  It  was  here,  in  this  temple, 
this  sacred  spot,  that  our  fathers  and  mothers  led  us,  in  our  child- 
hood days,  to  hear  the  joyful  sound  of  the  gospel,  and  the  songs 
of  praise,  and  taught  us  to  worship  the  true  and  living  God.  And 
while  we  look  over  this  respectable  assembly,  and  witness  such 
love  and  christian  fellowship  that  has  brought  us  together  at  this 
re-union,  it  kindles  the  fire  of  love  in  our  hearts,  and  moves  us  to 
say  that  we  feel  proud  that  we  are  Methodists,  but  prouder  still  that 
we  are  Christians;  and  we  are  led  tc  say,  in  the  language  of  the 
Psalmist,  "Behold  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren 
to  dwell  together  in  unity.  It  is  like  the  precious  ointment  up- 
on the  head,  that  ran  down  upon  the  beard,  even  Aaron's  beard, 
that  went  down  to  the  skirts  of  his  garments ;  as  the  dew  of 
Hermon,  and  as  the  dew  that  descended  upon  the  mountains  of 
Zion,  for  there  the  Lord  commanded  the  blessing,  even  life  for 
evermore. ' ' 

But  this  re-union  at  Bethel  is  only  for  a  day  ;  we  meet  here  in 
these  happy  greetings,  and  spend  a  few  delightful  hours  together 
as  christian  friends,  but  in  a  few  hours  we  will  have  to  take  the 
parting  hand  and  bid  each  other  farewell,  and  in  all  probability 
never  be  permitted  again  to  see  each  other  in  the  flesh. 

But  this  happy  event,  this  re-union  of  these  families  here,  on 
this  27th  day  of  October,  1885,  turns  our  minds  forward  also,  to 
a  future,  a  brighter,  a  happier  re-union,  in  the  upper  Temple,  in 
that  heavenly  home,  where  many  of  our  loved  ones,  who  have 
gone  on  before  us,  are  waiting  to  greet  us  in   the  mansions  of 


10 


light.  That  re-union  will  not  be  for  a  single  day  ;  it  will  not  be 
to  meet  for  a  few  hours  in  a  temple  made  by  men's  hands,  which 
is  subjected  to  decay,  and  crumble  to  the  dust.  It  will  not  be 
in  a  world  blighted  by  sin,  stamped  with  morality,  where  our 
hearts  are  often  made  sad  by  death  entering  our  homes,  and  cut- 
ting down  our  loved  ones  by  our  side,  and  we  are  called  to  follow 
their  lifeless  forms,  and  see  them  buried  in  the  grave. 

No,  no,  but  that  future  re-union  will  be  in  the  ' '  house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,  "  where  there  will  be  no  sick- 
ness, no  sorrow,  pain  nor  death,  but  where  the  people  of  God 
shall  dwell  forever  in  that  beautiful  home,  that  land  of  rest,  to 
behold  the  King  in  his  beauty,  and  never  part  again.  Then, 

"Forever  with  the  Lord," 

Amen,  so  let  it  be! 
Life  from  the  dead  is  in  that  word; 

'Tis  immortality. 


( 


The  Kinder  Family 


By  S.  W.  Kinder,  Esq. 

Jacob  Kinder  was  born  in  Rotterdam,  South  Holland,  about 
the  year  1736,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Katey  Clay,  in  the  year 
1760. 

The  happy  couple  elected,  for  a  "bridal  tour,"  a  trip  across 
the  wide,  wide  ocean,  and  started  forthwith  for  the  continent  of 
America.  With  modern  facilities  for  travel,  we  can  now  cross 
the  broad  expanse  of  water  in  eight  days;  it  is  probable  that, 
then,  it  required  more  than  as  many  weeks.  The  good  Book  de- 
clares that  "man  is  born  unto  trouble,"  and  a  crushing  sorrow 
met  this  man  and  wife  upon  the  very  threshold  of  their  newly 
begun  life.  On  reaching  this  country,  they  ascertained  that  they 
had  failed  to  take  the  proper  vouchers  for  the  money  paid  for 
their  fare,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  boat  demanded  that  it  should 
be  paid  again.  This  must  have  been  a  sore  conflict  at  the  very 
outset  of  their  married  life.  Strangers  in  a  strange  land,  with- 
out money  and  without  friends.  However,  nothing  daunted,  and 
possessed  of  those  characteristics  of  German  blood — honesty,  in- 
dustry, and  unfaltering  courage — they  devised  a  plan  equal  to  the 
emergency,  and  light  broke  again  long  their  pathway. 

They  met  a  man  who  proved  himself  to  be  a  high-toned 
gentleman,  and  a  friend  to  them  in  time  of  need. 

His  name  was  Lightfoot,  and  the  proprietor  of  an  iron  fur- 
nace, located  about  the  spot  where  the  town  of  Millsboro  now 
stands,  along  the  Indian  River  Shore.  They  agreed,  if  Mr.  Light- 
foot  would  repay  the  fare,  that  they  would  work  for  him  until 
the  debt  was  canceled.  Lightfoot  accepted  the  proposition,  and 
when  the  obligation  was  met,  he  gave  the  man  an  honorable  dis- 
charge, and  the  happy  hearts  full  of  hope,  and  inspired  with 
self-reliance,  began  life  anew. 

On  reaching  this  country,  this  party  proposed  to  locate  in 
Lancaster  County,  Pa.  But,  probably,  owing  to  the  trouble  to 
which  we  have  just  adverted,  their  plans  were  thwarted,  and  they 
came,  instead,  to  what  was  called  Deep  Creek  ;  now  Concord,  Del. 
At  the  latter  place,  in  the  year  1770,  their  first  child  was  born, 
whom  they  called  Jacob. 


12 


From  Deep  Creek  they  moved  to  the  farm  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Allen,  situated  along  the  Delaware 
Railroad,  near  Cannon's  Crossing.  Mr.  Kinder  rented  this  farm 
of  a  man  named  Bradley — there  being  a  number  of  families  of 
that  name  living  in  that  vicinity.  While  living  on  this  farm, 
their  second  child  was  born,  and  they  called  him  Isaac,  after  a 
prominent  man  living  in  that  community,  named  Isaac  Bradley. 

While  living  on  the  aforesaid  farm,  he  ascertained  that  there 
was  a  piece  of  vacant  land — land  which  had  never  been  surveyed 
or  taken  up — close  by. 

He  walked  to  Philadelphia,  a  distance  of  125  miles,  took  out 
a  Patent,  had  the  land  entered  to  his  account,  and  returned,  per- 
forming the  tedious  journey  in  about  one  week.  This  tract  of 
land  he  called  "  Jacob's  Choice, "  and  is  the  identical  piece  of 
land  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Jesse  Allen,  located  about 
three  miles  north-west  of  the  town  of  Seaford. 

While  Jacob  Kinder  lived  on  the  Bradley  farm,  Mr.  Bradley 
died,  and  bequeathed  to  Mr.  Kinder,  as  a  legacy,  the  use  of  the 
farm  for  three  years  free  of  rent,  showing  his  deep  interest  in, 
and  high  appreciation  of,  the  man. 

At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  by  selling  the  tract  of  land  he 
had  taken  up,  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  the  farm  located  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  this  church,  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
one  of  his  great  grand-sons,  William  Kinder.  Mr.  Kinder 
moved  to  this  farm  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1777.  About 
this  time  a  daughter  was  born  unto  this  family,  whom  they 
called  Nancy. 

In  the  year  1781,  this  time-honored  Temple,  Bethel  M.  K. 
Church,  was  built. 

The  same  year,  Mr.  White  Brown,  who  owned  and  lived  on  the 
farm  adjoining  the  church  lot,  (now  belonging  to  the  heirs  of  John 
Twiford,  deceased, )  built  the  brick  dwelling  which  still  stands, 
despite  the  weight  of  years  and  the  peltings  of  the  storms.  Mr. 
Brown  was  a  prominent  man  in  this  community,  and  a  leading 
spirit  in  the  erection  of  this  church. . 

His  time  was  so  occupied  with  his  own  building  and  the 
building  of  the  church,  he  proposed  that  Jacob  Kinder  should 
take  his,  Brown's  hands  and  his  own  hands,  and  cultivate  both 
farms  without  remuneration.  Mr.  Kinder,  anxious  to  help  in 
every  good  enterprise,  accepted  the  proposition,  and  all  things 
moved  along  smoothly  and  harmoniously  while  this  house  of  God 
was  being  built. 

Jacob  Kinder  remained  on  the  farm  where  he  last  settled,  un- 
til the  year  1790,  at  which  time  he  died,  aged  54  years,  leaving 


IS 


three  children,  viz.  Jacob,  Isaac  and  Nancy.  His  widow  survived 
him  about  32  years. 

Some  years  before  his  death  he  received  a  letter  from  Holland, 
stating  that  his  father  was  dead,  and  that  there  was  property  left 
him,  and  if  he  or  any  of  his  children  would  come,  they  could 
obtain  it.  He  thought  for  a  time  he  would  go  in  quest  if  it.  but 
the  matter  was  postponed  from  time  to  time,  and  finally  alto- 
gether abandoned. 

Their  eldest  son,  Jacob,  married  quite  young,  before  he  had 
reached  his  majority,  Miss  Ji^aghael  Owens,  who  resided  in  Cedar 
Creek  Hundred,  Susses  County.  There  were  born  unto  this  mar- 
riage eight  children,  viz.  Isaac,  Lizzie.  Polly.  Lovey,  Katy 
Owens,  Milley  and  Nancy. 

For  want  of  information  we  are  obliged  to  pass  this  interest- 
ing family,,  excepting  a  brief  sketch  of  the  two  sons.  Isaac  and 
Owens. 

-  Isaac  Kinder  spent  his  boyhood  on  the  farm  in  his  father's 
home.  His  early  manhood  was  given  to  educational  and  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

At  the  age  of  25  years  he  sought  his  fortune  in  the  west.  He 
located  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  Pickaway  County,  and  engaged  in 
school-teaching  for  a  livelihood.  It  was  while  teaching  and 
boarding  around  as  a  country  school  master,  that  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  the  fair-haired  girl  who  afterward  became  his 
wife. 

On  May  4th,  1S19.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Brown, 
eldest  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  Polk  Brown,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Judge  William  Polk,  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Del., 
the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Squire  Stephen  Horsey,  also  of 
the  State  of  Delaware. 

Some  two  years  later,  emigration  set  in  toward  Indiana,  and 
it  was  thought  that  fortunes  lay  in  that  direction.  Mr.  Kinder 
drifted  with  the  tide,  traveled  extensively  through  the  State, 
entered  government  land,  and  in  March,  1S22.  removed  his  family 
into  the  very  midst  of  the  '  *  Western  Wilds."  The  journey  was 
long  and  perilous,  through  the  almost  trackless  forest,  through 
swollen  gorges,  and  over  frozen  streams,  until  at  length  it  was 
ended.  The  log  cabin  was  reared,  and  for  ten  long  years  he 
worked  steadily  and  hard,  the  farm  all  the  time  improving,  from 
the  cabin  to  a  handsome  two-story  brick,  which  still  stands  in 
good  repair. 

At  this  juncture,  owing  to  impaired  health,  he  was  obliged  to 
quit  the  farm  and  moved  his  family  to  the  rapidly  growing  city 
of  Indianapolis, 


14 


Having  served  as  County  Surveyor  for  several  years,  he  added 
to  this  the  dry  goods  business,  and  became  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  that  mighty,  prosperous  city. 

Mr.  Kinder  purchased  property  in  the  latter  place,  which 
proved  in  the  course  of  time  to  be  the  spot-nucleus  of  the  Grand 
Central  Depot  of  that  mighty  metropolis.  This  investment  greatly 
enhanced  in  value  by  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city,  not  only  blessed 
his  children   with  competence,  but  rendered  them  quite  wealthy. 

There  were  born  unto  this  union  of  Isaac  and  Maria  Brown 
Kinder,  thirteen  children,  two  sons  and  eleven  daughters.  Four 
of  the  daughters  have  visited  their  relatives  in  Delaware,  and 
have  exhibited  unmistakable  signs  of  broad  culture,  extensive 
travel,  and  are  useful,  influential  members  of  society. 

The  only  son  who  grew  to  maturity  was  called  Trustin  Brown 
Kinder.  No  expense  or  pains  was  spared  in  educating  this  young 
man  for  the  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  bade  fair  to 
make  one  of  the  first  lawyers  of  the  city. 

This  ambitious  young  man  enlisted  in  the  Mexican  war  in 
1846,  was  made  Captain  of  Co.  B,  2d  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  fell, 
sorely  wounded,  February  23d,  1847,  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista. 
His  comrades  seized  him,  and  while  en  route  for  the  hospital, 
was  overtaken  by  the  Mexican  Lancers,  and  cruelly  murdered  and 
robbed.  ,  ft 


young  lady  named  Miss  Sarah  T.  Bolton,  who  contributed  the 
following  lines  as  a  tender  tribute  of  respect  for  the  young  man 
and  gallant  soldier,  whom  she  had  loved  : 


Sing  a  dirge  full  of  woe, 
For  the  noble  and  gifted, 

For  his  head  lieth  low, 
And  the  sword  is  unlifted; 

Sad  requiems  may  swell 
O'er  the  land  that  he  cherished; 

Storied  marble  may  tell 
Where  the  young  hero  perished. 

We  may  blazon  his  name, 
We  may  weep  and  deplore  him; 

We  may  give  him  to  fame, 
But  we  cannot  restore  him. 


affianced  to  a 


There  is  a  tear  for  all  who  die, 


A  mourner  o'er  the  humblest  grave; 

But  nations  swell  the  funeral  cry, 
And  triumph  weeps  above  the  brave. 


— Byron. 


15 


Gallant  Soldier,  farewell; 
True  thy  country  has  proved  thee, 

And  thy  memory  will  dwell 

In  the  warm  hearts  that  loved  thee. 

They  have  made  thee  a  grave 
In  the  field  of  thy  glory, 

They  have  written  thee  brave 
On  the  pages  of  story; 

And  fair  Freedom  will  come 
Her  sad  tribute  to  render, 

O'er  the  low,  silent  tomb, 
Of  her  gallant  defender. 


Thou  didst  pass  from  our  sight, 
In  the  hour  of  life's  morning, 

When  thy  pathway  was  bright 
With  hope's  brilliant  adorning. 

In  thy  home  once  so  dear, 
There  is  weeping  and  wailing; 

But  the  sigh  and  the  tear 
Are  alike  unavailing; 

For  the  conflict  is  o'er, 
And  life's  ties  are  all  riven, 

We  will  meet  thee  no  more 
Till  we  meet  thee  in  Heaven. 


Isaac  Kinder  never  recovered  from  the  shock  this  sad  event 
occasioned,  and  in  two  short  years  death  came  suddenly,  and  a 
good  husband,  a  devoted  father,  and  an  esteemed  citizen,  was 
called  from  labor  to  reward.  His  widow  survived  him  32  years, 
and  died  March  19th,  1885,  with  a  hope  full  of  immoitality  and 
eternal  life. 

Owens,  the  younger  son  of  Jacob  and  Rachel  Owens  Kinder, 
married  Miss  Alice  Smith,  who  lived  in  Cedar  Creek  Hundred, 
Sussex  County. 

Thirteen  children  were  bom  of  this  marriage.     He  lived  and 
died  in  the  home  of  his  fathers.     He  was  good  man,  a  useful 
member  of  society,  and  the  writer  will  never  forget  his  earnest, 
zealous,  ardent  prayers,  and  his  fiery  zeal  for  God's  house. 
■^p?  Isaac^  the  second  son  of  Jacob  and  Katy  Clay  Kinder,  located    y  a 
on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  youngest  son,  r^ajnjj^l 
Byas  Kinder,  situated  about  two  miles  from  this  church,  with  his 
widowed  mother  to  keep  his  house. 


m 

the  enjoyment,  and  perhaps  edification  of  US  young  folks,  he 
feels  strongly  tempted,  just  at  this  juncture,  to  divulge  a  little  ^  / 
family  secret. 

This  young  man,  Isaac  Kinder,  had  met  and  was  favorably 


The  writer  is  said  to  be  a  good  hand  to  keep  a  secret,  but  for 


impressed  with  a  Miss  Stevens,  a  young  lady  who  resided  near  St. 
Johnstown,  in  Sussex  County. 

He  had  visited  her  a  few  times,  and  while  on  his  way  to  a 
"Beach  Party,"  held  at  some  point  on  the  Delaware  Bay,  passing 
this  lady's  home,  called  to  see  her,  and  spent  the  night.  Kinder 
like,  (with  a  few  exceptions),  he  was  not  slow  to  speak  to  her  of 
the  purposes  of  his  mind  and  heart,  and  asked  her  to  accept  his 
hand  m  marriage. 

Like  all  true,  thoughtful  young  ladies,  she  hesitated  to 
answer  so  serious  and  important  a  question. 

He  told  her  he  would  call  to  see  her  again  on  his  return,  at 
which  time  she  promised  him  a  definite  answer.  While  at  the 
beach  party,  he  met  a  sweet,  mpressive  young  lady  whom  he  had 
known  in  early  girlhood,  Miss  Rhoda  Warren,  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander and  Sina  Warren,  who  lived  in  Cedar  Creek  Hundred,  Sus- 
sex County. 

This  young  lady  so  won  upon  his  heart  during  his  stay  at  the 
party,  that  he  changed  his  mind,  and  determined  if  he  could  win 
her  heart,  he  would  call  her  his  wife. 

On  his  return  home,  as  good  as  his  word,  he  called  to  see 
Miss  Stevens.  Supper  over,  and  once  in  the  parlor,  the  subject 
of  matrimony  was  again  introduced.  She  told  him  she  had  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  she  was  too  young  to  marry,  and  he  had 
better  look  further  for  a  wife.  He  joined  her,  told  her  he  thought 
so  too,  and  if  she  would  wait  longer,  doubtless,  she  might  do 
better. 

Soon  tiring  of  "  bachelor's  hall,  "  and  "single  blessedness, " 
he  addressed,  wooed,  won,  and  married  Miss  Rhoda  Warren  in 
her  father's  home,  on  the  19th  day  of  October,  1797. 

There  were  no  carriages  in  this  section  of  the  country  at  that 
time,  and  they  were  accompanied  from  the  bride's  father's,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-five  miles,  by  a  cavalcade  of  twenty-five  couples, 
on  horse-back,    to  his  quiet  country  home. 

The  modern  "bridal  tourists"  to  Washington,  New  York, 
Saratoga  and  other  fashionable  centers  of  the  Country,  by  rail  and 
steamer,  know  but  little  of  the  real  romance  and  solid  joy  which 
filled  the  minds  and  flooded  the  hearts  of  that  happy  couple,  as 
their  noble  steeds  loped  over  hill  and  dale,  and  brought  them  in 
safety  to  their  rustic  home. 

Isaac  Kinder,  soon  after  his  marriage,  sat  under  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus,  and  went  to  his  home  convinced  of  "sin, 
righteousness  and  of  judgment  to  come  "  For  weeks,  he  sought 
an  interest  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  about  his  home.  One  day 
while  walking  on  his  farm  in  great  distress  of  mind  and  heart, 


17 


asking  what  he  must  do  to  be  saved,  these  sweet  words  of  Jesus 
flashed  like  a  jewel  upon  his  mind. — "Come  unto  me  all  ye  that 
labor,  and  are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  "  "Take  my 
yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in 
heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls."  That  was  the 
glad  hour  when  the  darkness  dispersed,  and  the  light  broke  in, 
when  the  burden  rolled  away,  and  his  soul,  light  and  happy, 
held  uninterrupted  communion  with  his  Savior  and  his  God. 

Rhoda  Warren  Kinder,  his  happy  bride,  was  one  of  the  best 
women  who  ever  lived.  There  was  a  motherly  love  and  tenderness 
pervading  her  heart  and  life  which  baffled  human  description. 
She  proved  to  be,  to  her  confiding  husband,  the  kind  of  woman 
described  by  Solomon — "who  can  find  a  virtuous  woman  ?  for  her 
price  is  far  above  rubies — the  heart  of  her  husband  doth  safely 
trust  in  her,  she  will  do  him  good  and  not  evil  all  the  days  of 
her  life.  She  seeketh  wool  and  flax  and  worketh  willingly  with 
her  hands.  She  riseth,  also,  while  it  is  yet  night,  and  giveth 
meat  to  her  household,  and  a  portion  to  her  maidens.  She 
maketh  fine  linen  and  selleth  it.  She  openeth  her  mouth  with 
wisdom,  and  in  her  tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness. 

"Her  children  arise  and  call  her  blessed,  her  husband,  also, 
and  he  prizeth  her.  " 

There  were  born  unto  this  happy  union  nine  children,  viz: 
Nancy,  Warren,  John,  Stephen,  Jacob,  Sina,  Daniel  Byas,  Eliza- 
beth Riley  and  Mary  Hudson.  '  ~" 

Nancy,  the  first-born,  died  when  nine  years  old. 

Warren  Kinder  married,  1st,  Miss  Annie  M.  Davis,  daughter 
of  Caleb  and  Nancy  Cannon  Davis;  2nd,  Mrs.  Eliza  Bradley;  3rd, 
Miss  Emeline  Davis  sister  to  his  first  wife. 

John  Kinder  married,  1st,  Miss  Castelia  Davis,  daughter  of 
Tilghman  and  Mary  Wilson  Davis;  2nd,  Miss  Catherine  Davis, 
sister  to  his  first  wife. 

Stephen  Kinder  married  Miss  Mary  Wright,  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Milky  Wright. 

Jacob  Kinder  married  Miss  Mary  Cannon,  daughter  of  Wiugate 
and  Sallie  Wilson  Cannon. 

Daniel  Byas  married,  1st,  Miss  Mary  Dukes;  2nd,  Miss  Emily 
Davis,  'daughter  of  Jess\e  Davis. 

Sina  Kinder,  the  only  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Rhoda  Warren 
Kinder  who  lived  to  maturity,  married  Lewis  N.  Wright,  a  man 
of  precious  memory,   whose   noble,  industrious,   heroic   life,  de 
serves  many  pages  in  this  brief  record.     He  died  December  25th, 
1883,  and  passed  to  his  eternal  rest. 


xdL  yUul'YalUn 


18 


Sephen  Kinder  was  powerfully  converted  to  God  in  his  early 
manhood — was  considered  the  more  pious  of  the  sons — was  ap- 
pointed class-leader  at  Bethel  M.  K.  Church,  and  in  eight  short 
months  after  his  marriage  died  in  full  hope  of  a  better  life  at  the 
early  age  of  23  years.  It  was  thought  by  those  who  knew  him 
best,  had  he  lived,  he  would  have  become  a  minister  of  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel. 

Elizabeth  Riley  Kinder  embraced  the  christian  religion  in  her 
14th  year,  and  at  about  the  age  of  15,  in  the  very  bloom  of  youth, 
passed  to  the  eternal  life,  with  a  bright  hope  of  a  blissful  im- 
mortality. We  are  told  there  were  no  doubts  to  cloud  her  mind, 
and  that  the  last  words  she  uttered  were :  ' '  My  ransomed  soul 
shall  soar  away  to  sing  God's  praise  in  endless  days." 

Mary  Hudsou  Kinder  died  in  her  17th  year.  Iyike  Mary  in 
the  New  Testament,  she  remembered  her  creator  in  the  days  of 
her  youth.  We  are  told  her  life  seemed  to  be  "hid  with  Christ 
in  God,"  that  she  was  sweet-spirited  and  amiable  in  her  life, 
and  most  interesting  and  lovely  in  her  death. 

A  fitting  epitaph  upon  her  tombstone  would  have  been — 
'Many  daughters  have  done  virtuously, but  thou  excelleth  them  all. ' 

Nancy  Kinder,  the  only  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Katy  Clay 
Kinder,  was  married  quite  young  to  Mr.  Robert  Owens,  who 
lived  but  a  few  years  and  died  without  issue. 

She  afterward  married  Mr.  Stephen  Warren,  of  Sussex  County, 
Delaware. 

There  were  born  of  this  marriage  five  children,  viz:  Mary, 
David,  Rhoda,  Katy  and  Stephen. 

We  are  sorry  that  for  the  want  of  information  we  cannot  speak 
more  particularly  of  this  family. 

Jacob  Kinder,  the  eldest,  son  of  the  first  Jacob, remaiued  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  William  F.  Kinder,  until  the  year  1831, 
when  he  gave  it  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  Owens,  and  purchased 
and  moved  to  a  farm  located  one  and  a  half  miles  west  of  the 
town  of  Bridgeville,  familiarly  known  as  the  "Laws  Farm,"  and 
remained  at  the  latter  place  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
the  year  1837,  in  the  68th  year  of  his  age. 

Isaac  Kinder  greatly  improved  his  temporal  condition,  pur- 
chaseoTmahy  hundred  acres  of  land,  lived  a  life  of  great  activity 
and  usefulness,  and  came  down  to  a  good  old  age  like  a  ripe  shock 
of  corn,  ready  to  be  garnered  in  the  skies. 

He  remained  on  the  farm  where  he  first  settled,  now  occupied 
by  his  youngest  son— Daniel  Byas — until  his  death,  which  took 
place  in  the  year  1855,  aged  82  years. 


19 


Nancy  Kinder,  afterward  Nancy  Warren,  settled  with  her  hus- 
band in  Cedar  Creek  Hundred,  Sussex  County,  and  there  remained 
until  the  year  1852,  when  she  died,  aged  about  77  years. 

There  were  born  unto  Jacob  and  Katy  Clay  Kinder,  who  came 
from  Holland  to  this  continent  in  1760,  three  children,  twenty- 
two  grandchildren,  and  one  hundred  and  two  great  grandchildren. 
Being  unable  to  trace  the  fourth  generation  accurately,  we  think 
we  approximate  the  truth,  when  we  say  there  were  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty,  great,  great  grandchildren. 

We  have  reserved  our  last  page  to  speak  more  particularly  of 
the  three  sons  of  Isaac  and  Rboda__Warren  Kinder,  who  have 
fought  life's  battles  successfully,  and  have  gone  to  their  eternal 
reward;  viz:  Warren,  John  and  Jacob,  three  of  the  noblest  and 
grandest  men  who  ever  lived  in  this  communty. 

In  a  general  respect,  they  all  reminded  me  of  the  Ocean.  The 
Ocean  is  grand,  so  were  those  men. 

The  Ocean  is  majestic,  so  were  those  men.  And  yet,  each 
one  reminded  me  of  the  Ocean  under  varied  circumstances.  War- 
ren reminded  me  of  the  Ocean  when  it  stretches  on  and  on  in  its 
majestic  grandeur,  under  the  solemn  stillness  of  an  autumn's  sun. 
John  reminded  me  of  the  Ocean,  when  the  breezes  have  fanned 
themselves  into  a  brisk  gale,  and  have  piled  up  its  bosom  into 
mighty,  towering  columns  of  strength  and  power.  Jacob  remind- 
ed me  of  the  Ocean  when  the  dark  storm-cloud  gathers,  and  the 
driving  winds  lash  it  into  fury,  and  its  mighty  huge  billows, 
rolling  mountains  high,  dash  and  break  upon  the  shore  as  if  they 
would  submerge  and  engulf  the  very  earth.  Jacob  Kinder  pos- 
sessed a  restless,  riggling  activity,  which  would  not  let  him  be 
still.  But  give  him  something  to  do,  something  that  was  worthy 
of  his  doing,  and  he  was  up  and  at  it,  and  never  succumbed  until 
the  task   was  accomplished,  and  thoroughly  accomplished. 

Like  the  seabird,  happiest  when  riding  the  highest  wave  of 
the  storm,  Jacob  Kinder  was  most  and  greatest  and  mightiest  when 
he  was  ascending  the  very  crest  of  some  mountain  barrier,  and 
had  but  to  reach  forth  his  hand,  nerved  by  his  mighty  indomi- 
table will,  and  wrench  success  from  the  very  jaws  of  apparent 
death. 

Those  men  were  firm  men.  Men  of  the  staunchest  type  of 
integrity.  Men,  wherever  known,  whose  word  was  as  good  as 
their  bond.  Men  who  always  exerted  an  influence  for  good,  and 
impressed  their  noble  spirits  upon  all  with  whom  they  came  in 
contact.  Men  who  did  their  own  thinking,  and  arrived  at  their 
own  conclusions,  and  when  they  had  once  reached  a  conclusion, 


7~ 


20 


you  had  might  as  well  try  to  move  the  earth  with  a  crowbar,  as  to 
move  those  men  from  their  conviction  of  right  and  duty. 

We  are  not  here  to  say  that  those  men  were  perfect,  or  free 
from  weakness  which  are  "the  common  lot^of^liumanity — else  they 
had  not  been  human — we  are  not  here  to  say  that  those  men  did 
not  study  policy  in  their  actions  and  transactions  among  men,  but 
we  are  here  to  say  that  whenevei  a  question  of  policy  or  right 
was  presented  to  those  men  for  decision,  there  was  such  a  deep 
sense  of  abiding  rectitude  and  right  in  the  very  constitution  of 
their  natures,  that  they  invariably  vergd  to  the  right,  let  the  out- 
come be  loss  or  gain^ 

They  were  good  men.  Since  their  death  many  tender  tributes 
of  respect  have  greeted  my  ears  from  men  who  knew  them  well  all 
their  lifetime.  The  writer  was  standing  at  the  desk  of  a  promi- 
nent merchant,  who  is  struggling  to  accumulate  this  world's 
goods,  when  the  news  of  the  death  of  my  uncle,  Lewis  N.  Wright, 
came,  and  said  this  man:  "I  envy  such  men  as  Warren  Kinder, 
your  father,  and  Lewis  Wright,  when  I  hear  of  their  death.  Men 
who  have  acted  a  noble  part  in  life,  and  have  come  down  to  its 
final  close  with  honor  and  credit  to  themselves,  and  the  respect 
and  love  of  all  who  knew  them.  " 

A  few  weeks  after  my  father's  death,  I  met  one  of  the  most 
prominent  men  who  ever  lived  in  this  State,  Senator  Saulsbury, 
who  knew  him  long  and  well,  and  speaking  of  his  noble  life, 
said  he,  "John  Kinder  was  the  salt  of  the  earth." 

Men  who  have  made  it  the  business  of  their  lives  to  find  fault 
with  christian  men  and  to  point  out  their  weaknesses  rather  than 
their  strength,  men  who  knew  Jacob  Kinder  well,  were  compelled 
to  acknowledge  the  purity  and  uprightness  of  his  life,  and  the 
holy  triumph  of  his  death.  Many  men  have  been  made  by  cir- 
cumstances, but  the  process  was  too  slow  for  Jacob  Kinder.  He 
made  circumstances,  and  pushed  all  the  interests  of  his  vocation 
to  their  utmost  bounds,  and  at  the  same  time  lived  a  life  devoted 
to  God,  and  the  great  interests  of  His  Church. 

These  facts  have  been  mentioned  to  show  that  those  men's 
noble,  active  lives  were  impressed  upon  all  lives  about  them,  and 
that  there  is  a  power  in  the  Christianity  which  they  professed  and 
lived,  which  raised  them  above  the  suspicion  of  men,  and  crowned 
their  years  with  honor,  goodness  and  success. 

Those  men  had  an  unconquerable  faith  in  their  Mother's  Bible 
and  their  Mother's  God.  Several  ministers  visited  Warren  on 
one  occasion.  During  the  day  they  took  a  walk  on  his  farm. 
One  of  the  ministers  could  not  be  satisfied  long  at  a  tim«  without 


21 


a  book  in  his  hand,  and  he  said  in  the  walk, "I  wish  I  had  a  good 
book  to  read."  My  uncle  remarked  "he  had  a  very  good  book 
in  his  house."  The  minister  felt  somewhat  elated  to  think  he 
was  in  such  close  proximity  to  a  good  book  and  on  returning  to 
his  home  Warren  Kinder  handed  him  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Bible 
saying:  "That  is  the  best  book  I  ever  read." 

Those  men  lived  close  together  in  their  lives  and  were  not  far 
apart  in  their  death,  and  at  a  good  ripe  old  age  closed  their  eyes 
upon  the  conflicts  of  mortality  and  have  gone  to  live  and  grow 
and  sing  forever  in  the  Paradise  of  Angels  and  God. 

And  now  as  we  look  upon  the  friendly,  familiar  faces  which 
compose  this  re-union — earth-born  and  fleeing — and  as  we  look 
beyond  it  and  beyond  this  Church — this  time-honored  Temple — 
and  beyond  these  grounds  and  beyond  the  horizon,  and  beyond 
the  clouds  and  beyond  the  stars  let  us  ask  ourselves  the  question: 
"Shall  we  all  meet  in  that  grand  re-union  in  the  upper  Temple 
and  with  Abraham  and  Isaac  and  Warien  and  John  and  Jacob  be 
eternally  shut  in  to  go  out  no  more  forever?" 


The  Noble  Family 


By  Col.  J.  M.  McCartbr. 

The  first  of  this  f amity,  we  think,  came  to  America  from 
England  settling  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  the  Province  of  Mary- 
land about  A.  D.  1650.  At  this  time  about  fifty  families  among 
whom  were  the  Richards,  the  Wrights,  and  the  Nobles,  and  others, 
followed  John  Richards  to  Dorchester  County  who  had  patented 
large  tracts  of  land  lying  in  what  is  now  known  as  North  West 
Fork  Hundred  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  in  several  of  the 
upper  election  districts  of  Dorchester  County,  Md.  The  writer 
of  this  sketch  has  seen  and  examined  the  original  title  deeds 
from  King  Charles  I  of  England  to  the  aforesaid  John  Richards, 
one  or  more  of  which  is  yet  in  the  possession  of  his  lineal  de- 
scendant, Mrs.  Doctor  Hugh  Martin,  nee  Richards,  of  Seaford, 
Delaware. 

We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  tha  christian  name  of  the 
first  immigrant  bearing  the  name  of  Noble  in  the  early  settlement 
in  Dorchester  County.  He  and  his  descendants,  for  several  gene- 
rations, lived  unconspicuous  and  quiet  lives.  When  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Johnson,  author  of  the  English  dictionary,  was  refused  mar- 
riage by  the  lady  whom  he  addressed  with  that  view,  and  he 
pressed  her  to  know  the  reason  of  such  refusal,  she  is  said  to 
have  replied,  that  an  insuperble  obstacle  was  in  the  fact  that  her 
father  had  been  hung ;  to  which  he  made  answer,  that  the  hang- 
ing of  several  of  his  ancestors  was,  he  had  no  doubt,  richly 
deserved,  if  it  had  not  been  effected.,  and  instead  of  its  being  an 
objection,  was  an  honor.  This  era  in  English  history  was  the 
period  of  death  for  political  offences,  and  we  know  that : 

"Whether  on  the  gallows  high, 

Or  in  the  battle's  van, 
The  noblest  place  for  man  to  die 

Is,  where  he  dies  for  man." 

We  know  of  none  of  the  Nobles  who  have  been  hung,  or  who 
have  been  lifted  into  notice  in  history  by  either  heroic  or  crimi- 
nal conduct.  The  generations  succeeding  the  first  immigrant 
bearing  this  name,  lived  through  exciting  periods,   but  no  one 


28 


bearing  the  name  of  Noble  was  conspicuous  in  the  disputed 
boundary  question  between  Delaware  and  Maryland  ;  nor  in  the 
Claiborne  or  Cromwellian  wars  of  Maryland.  Even  in  the  struggle 
for  independence,  we  have  no  knowledge  of  one  of  this  name 
fighting  either  in  the  ranks  of  the  "'Maryland  Line,''  or  in  those 
of  the  ''Blue  Hen's  Chickens,''  as  the  soldiers  of  Delaware  were 
called.     So  far  back  as  we  can  trace  them.,  they  were  Quakers. 

The  origin  of  name  designating  individuals  and  families 
sometimes  was  found  in  the  qualities,  or  characterisics  of  the 
person.  We  flatter  ourself  that  this  was  the  case  in  the  name  of 
Noble;  and  strange  and  incongruous  as  it  seems  in  a  Republican 
Government  and  a  Democratic  State,  we  have  had  Nobles  (a  nobil- 
ity) from  its  beginning,  and  today  finds  us  surrounded  if  not 
indeed,  overawed,  by  NOBLES. 

The  grandfather  of  our  present  Sheriff  William  Noble  was  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  ;  a  Dorchester  citizen  who  was 
twice  married.  By  his  first  marriage  were  two  sons.  John  and 
William.  His  second  wife  was  a  Miss  Jackson  of  Dorchester 
County  ;  by  this  marriage  there  were  two  sons  also  ;  Joshua  and 
Mark  Noble  who  are  the  progenitors  of  the  family  here  today 
assembled.  Of  the  other  and  earlier  brothers,  we  are  without 
record. 

The  father  of  Joshua  and  Mark  Noble  was  removed  from  them 
by  death  when  they  were  quite  young:  and  their  mother  married, 
for  a  second  husband  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Brooks,  who 
squandered  a  very  considerable  estate  of  his  own  and  of  his  wife's, 
in  gambling  and  horse-racing.  The  extent  to  which  horse-racing 
was  indulged  in.  at  the  close  of  the  last  century,  and  indeed 
throughout  the  entire  century,  by  those  residing  in  the  colonies 
settled  by  the  English,  may  be  iearned  by  reading  the  July  num- 
ber of  The  Century  Magazine.  1885,  in  an  article  by  Dr.  Eggles- 
ton.  Mr.  Brooks  was  devoted  to  this  sport,  and  when  Joshua, 
the  elder  of  his  two  step-sons,  became  old  enough  to  manage  a 
race-horse,  he,  under  the  control  of  his  step-father,  became  a  race- 
rider;  going,  not  unfrequently.  the  distance  of  one  hundred  miles 
from  home,  to  ride  in  races  for  Mr.  Brooks.  When  Joshua  ar- 
rived at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  after  mature  deliberation,  he 
determined  never  to  ride  again,  and  so  informed  his  step-father. 
He  expected  to  be  severely  chastised  for  this  avowal.  Mr.  Brooks 
did  not.  much  to  his  surprise,  even  threaten  him,  and  never 
afterward  asked  him  to  get  into  a  saddle  for  a  race.  Joshua  was 
ever  after  the  most  determined  foe  of  horse-racing.  Soon  after 
this  Mr.  Brooks   died  and  left   his  two   step-children   and  their 


mother  almost  pennyless.  These  boys  kept  her,  as  long  as  she 
lived,  by  their  earnings;  devoting  themselves,  for  her  sake,  to 
hard  and  self-denying  manual  labor.  Upon  his  arrival  at  man's 
estate,  Joshua  came  over  the  line  into  Delaware,  and  soon  after 
purchased  the  farm  now  known  as  Kirk  farm,  almost  in  sight  of 
where  we  are  now  assembled.  He  then  married  Sally,  daughter 
of  Solomon  Twiford.  This  marriage  occurred  in  the  year  1797. 
Their  children  were  Charles,  Daniel,  John,  Archibald,  Lovey, 
Elizabeth,  Solomon,  Hester,  James,  Alexander,  William  1st, 
Amelia,  William  2d,  now  Sheriff  Noble,  Twiford,  Rhoda  and 
Jane;  sixteen,  of  whom  twelve  grew  to  maturity.  Daniel  and 
John  died  when  young  men,  unmarried.  Daniel  at  his  father's, 
and  John  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 

Charles  Noble  married  Mahala,  daughter  of  Rev.  Wm.  Davis. 
He  died  leaving  four  ""children":  Mary,  Jonathan,  William  and 
Sarah  Ann.  Mary  and  Jonathan  are  with  us  today.  Sarah 
married  twice.  Her  first  husband,  Arthur  Neal,  died,  leaving 
two  sons,  James  and  Jonathan  Neal,  deceased.  Her  second  husband 
was  Samuel  Ward.  She  died  leaving  two  children  of  this  mar- 
riage, Mary  and  William  Ward. 

Mary,  daughter  of  Charles  Noble,  is  the  wife  of  Alfred  Davis. 
Their  children  are  Emily,  wife  of  Henry  Cannon,  of  Seaford ; 
Augusta,  now  Mrs.  Booth,  of  Philadelphia ;  Mary  Adaline,  de- 
ceased 1874,  married  Joseph  James,  of  Seaford,  and  left  three 
children,  Rose,  Frederick  and  Lena.  Charles,  resident  of  this 
vicinity;  and  Sallie  C. ,  wife  of  W.  E.  Carpenter,  of  Cannon's 
Ferry,  Anna,  who  died  1883;  James,  and  Laura  A.,  wife  of 
Oliver  Obier,  of  Seaford,  Delaware. 

Jonathan  Noble,  of  Charles,  married  Eliza  Ward ;  their  child- 
ren are  Mary,  wife  of  Isaac  S.  Warren ;  Sarah,  wife  of  George 
Williams ;  Joseph,  who  died  in  early  manhood,  1871,  and  Charles, 
now  in  Arizona  Territory. 

William  Noble,  of  Charles,  known  as  Dr.  Noble,  died  in 
Federalsburg,  1879,  after  years  of  successful  practice  in  his  pro- 
fession ;  one  of  the  nobility  of  earth ;  a  man  of  honor  and  worth  ; 
a  scholar,  a  man  of  rare  genius  and  a  christian  gentleman.  He 
was  twice  married,  first  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joseph  Vickers, 
and  of  this  marriage  there  is  one  survivor,  Mrs.  Corinne  Johnson, 
of  Sioux  Rapids,  Iowa.  For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Houston,  who  survives  him.  By  this  second  marriage 
are  four  sons,  William  H.  Noble,  M.  D. ,  of  Port  Deposit,  Md ; 
Robert,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Army,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  and 
now  stationed  in  Arizona;  Charles  Noble,  M.  D.,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  and  Herbert,  a  student  of  St.  John's  College,  Annapolis. 


'lb 


Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joshua  Noble,  married  Anthony  R. 
Adams.  She  died  at  the  house  of  Sheriff  Noble,  1S75,  leaving 
one  surviving  daughter,  Ruth,  wife  of  James  Harris,  of  Seaford, 
Delaware. 

Emily  married  Noah  Lednum ;  she  died  leaving  one  son, 
Francis  Lednum. 

Margaret  died  unmarried. 
Hester,  also  died  unmarried. 

Solomon,  son  of  Joshua  Noble,  born  1809,  married  Harriet, 
daughter  of  Noble  Williams.  He  died  February,  1868,  leaving  a 
widow  and  ten  children,  of  whom  eight  are  yet  living  ;  those  are 
Lottie,  now  Mrs.  Raimey.  of  Baltimore,  Md.  ;  Martha  ;  Joseph 
died  April,  1835  ;  Rhoda,  wife  of  John  Mark  Davis,  of  Baltimore, 
Md.  ;  Harriet,  wife  of  Win.  Alberger,  Federalsburg  ;  Clementine, 
now  Mrs.  Zebdice  Fountain,  of  Andersontown,  Md.  ;  Hally,  wife 
of  Alfred  Noble,  Federalsburg  ;  S.  Maddux  and  Robert. 

Hester,  daughter  of  Joshua  Noble,  married  Charles  Smith  ;  she 
died  leaving  one  daughter,  the  late  Mrs.  Ross,  who  left  two  sons, 
William,  and  Noble  Rolph,  children  by  her  second  husband,  Mr. 
James  Rolph. 

James,  of  Joshua,  married  Mary  Howard,  of  Somerset  County, 
Md.  He  died  1866,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  children,  all  liv- 
ing. These  are  Frances  Josephine,  now  Mrs.  Lieutenant  Wind- 
sor, U.  S.  Navy  ;  Ella,  wife  of  Alva  Hubbard,  of  Baltimore,  and 
Mary  Belle. 

Alexander,  of  Joshua,  married  Louisa,  daughter  of  Aaron 
Wright;  died  1853,  leaving  five  children;  Daniel  F,  ;  James  A., 
merchant,  Linchester,  Caroline  County;  Mary  C. ,  wife  of  R. 
D.  Bradley,  Charles  W. ,  who  died  1860,  and  Harriet,  wife  of  John 
Pert,  of  Andersontown. 

Amelia  married  William  N.  Collins.  Rev.  Wm.  Collins,  of 
St.  Louis,  is  one  of  ten  surviving  children  ;  Joshua,  who  died 
1883,  left  a  wife  and  children;  Henry,  a  resident  of  Indiana; 
Sallie,  widow  of  Robert  Bratton  ;  he  died  1884;  Georgiana,  now 
Mrs.  Studly,  of  Kansas;  Emily  married  Henry  Schock  ;  Henry 
and  Laura  are  married,  and  Rhoda  and  Edward  yet  unmarried  ; 
all  residents  of  Kansas  except  William  and  Henry  Collins. 

William  2d,  known  as  Sheriff  Noble,  of  Caroline  County, 
born  1818,  married  Rhoda  Ann,  daughter  of  Warren  and  Anna 
Maria  (Davis)  Kinder.  Three  of  their  children  died  in  infancy, 
and  Sallie,  wife  of  James  M.  Andrews,  of  Dorchester  County,  is 
their  only  surviving  child. 

TwifordS.,  of  Joshua,  was   born   1820,    and  died  February, 


26 


1882,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  children.  He  married  first,  Ruth 
Hannah,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  Leverton.  She  died 
leaving  two  sons,  Jacob  L.  Noble,  M.  D. ,  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  on  Taylor's  Island,  and  Rufus,  a  merchant,  also  of 
Taylor's  Island.  His  second  wife  was  Caroline,  daughter  of 
Caleb  P.  and  Nancy  Davis,  who  died  leaving  Ada,  now  Mrs. 
Robert  Jarrell,  and  Alexander,  farmer,  at  the  homestead  near 
Preston.  His  third  wife  was  Levisa  A.  Martin,  widow  of  James 
Rumbold,  who  survives  him. 

Jane,  daughter  of  Joshua  Noble,  born  Jan.  21st,  1824,  was 
twice  married ;  first  to  Wm.  Henry  Wright ;  of  this  marriage 
were  four  children  :  Twiford  N. ,  Sally  C. ,  who  married  Tilgh- 
man  Davis;  l/ouisa,  now  Mrs  Daniel  Moore,  of  Federalsburg, 
and  Maggie,  now  widow  of  Eli  Gullett,  late  of  Federalsburg. 
For  her  second  husband  she  married  John  T.  Fleetwood  and  died 
leaving  one  child,  Ida  Fleetwood. 

Mark  Noble,  younger  brother  of  Joshua,  of  whose  family  we 
have  given  the  foregoing  sketch,  was  married  three  times.  His 
last  wife^was  Betsey,  daughter  of  William  Maloney,  of  Delaware. 

His  children  were  Daniel,  Nathan,  Milly,  Joshua  and  Ridson. 

Daniel,  of  Mark,  married  Nancy,  daughter  of  Garey  Leverton. 
Of  this  marriage,  five  children  grew  to  maturity.  Willis  Noble; 
Isaac,  a  resident  of  Preston,  Caroline  County  ;  Amelia,  now  Mrs. 
Bland,  of  Cambridge;  Daniel  James,  and  Garey  L. ,  who  became  a 
oldier  in  the  late  war;  a  m  ember  of  the  8th  Maryland  Regiment, 
U.  S.  Service;  died  1863  in  the  23d  year  of  his  age. 

Nathan,  of  Mark,  married  Mary  Hubbard,  of  Bloomery,  Caro- 
line County.  They  had  four  children:  Henry,  deceased;  Elisha 
and  James,  residing  in  the  west ;  and  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Green- 
bury  Nichols,  residing  near  Pine  Grove  Church,  Caroline  County, 
Md. 

Joshua,  of  Mark,  became  extensively  known  as  a  minister  of  the 
Society  of  Friends.  He  resided  near  Federalsburg,  where  he  died 
18th  of  August,  1870,  in  the  62d  year  of  his  age.  His  children 
are  Joseph  M.,  of  Hurlock's  Station,  Dorchester  County,  Md ; 
John  H. ,  Mark  E.,  and  Alfred  Noble,  all  of  whom  are  living 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  parental  homestead. 

In  intelligence,  integrity  and  industry,  this  family  has  a  most 
honorable  record,  and  as  eulogy  is  inappropriate  in  such  a  paper 
as  this,  we  submit  this  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  Noble 
family. 


Address  of 

Rev,  P.  H.  Rawlins 


Dear  friends  and  kindred  :  I  am  neither  a  Davis,  a  Noble, 
nor  a  Kinder,  but  I  number  among  my  most  intimate  friends, 
members  of  each  of  these  families;  and  my  wife,  as  you  all  know, 
is  a  descendant  of  the  Kinder  family,  and  her  father,  Lewis  N. 
Wright,  has  had  honorable^ mention  today. 

We  have  met  on  historic  ground,  and  have  come  from  far 
and  near  to  greet  each  other  in  this  old,  time-honored  temple. 
We  have  come  to  renew  our  friendships,  and  re-kindle  in  each 
other's  hearts  the  fires  of  kindred  love,  and  to  extend  our  ac- 
quaintance to  others  who  claim  a  relationship  of  consanguinity  or 
affinity.  But  few  remain  to  meet  with  us  that  were  acquainted 
and  associated  with  the  fathers  of  the  past  generation.  A  few 
yet  linger  to  whom  we  look  up  and  call  "the  fathers  and 
mothers. ' ' 

The  fathers,  whose  memories  are  recalled  today,  have  passed  to 
their  long  home.  Their  graves  are  with  us,  and  on  them  we 
would  place  fresh  immortelles,  as  we  are  reminded  of  their  names, 
and  deeds,  and  heroic  struggles,  They  labored  long  and  well  to 
make  the  "desert  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

It  is  not  mine  to  repeat  the  story  of  their  lives  and  the  histo- 
ries of  their  families;  that  has  been  the  work  of  others  better 
prepared  than  I  am  to  do  them  justice. 

Could  the  Nobles,  Kinders  and  Davises,  of  a  hundred  years 
ago,  look  down  upon  this  audience  today  as  we  are  gathered  here, 
what  an  army  of  their  descendants  would  they  behold !  And  who 
shall  say  that  they  do  not,  from  the  battlements  of  the  upper 
world,  behold  this  assembled  multitude  ? 

Who  knows  how  near  they  are  permitted  to  come  to  this 
congregation  ?  The  veil  is  thin  that  intervenes,  find  with  the 
clearer  vision  of  the  disembodied,  they  may  be  permitted  to  look 
through  upon  us  now.  Many  of  us  cannot  claim  to  be  their  lineal 
descendants,  but  charmed  by  their  virtues  and  fascinated  by  the 
smiles  of  their  fair  daughters  and  granddaughters,  we  sought  a 
place  in  their  circle,  and  to  be  twigs  on  their  family  trees.  Thus, 

"  'Tis  but  one  family,  the  sound  is  balm, 

A  seraph  whisper  to  the  wounded  heart." 


28 


No  towering  obelisks  mark  the  resting  places  of  our  ancestors. 
No  long  drawn  histories  tell  their  noble  deeds.  No  poets  have 
sung  of  their  virtues  and  thus  embalmed  their  memories;  but  we, 
their  descendants,  have  embalmed  them  in  our  hearts.  Bring  the 
spices  and  lay  around  their  sleeping  forms!  Polish  their  tombs 
and  re-write  their  names.  Tell  the  story  of  their  lives  to  our 
children      Honor  the  fathers  and  the  mothers. 

"  'Tis  memory  of  the  pious  dead, 

"To  earth-worn  pilgrim's  wistful  eye 
"The  brightest  rays  of  cheering  shed, 
"To  point  to  immortality. 

"A  twinkling  speck,  but  fixed  and  bright, 

"To  guide  us  through  the  dreary  night, 
"Bach  hero  shines,  and  lures  the  soul, 

"To  gain  the  distant  happy  goal. 

"For  there  is  one  who,  musing  o'er  the  grave 

"Where  lies  interred  the  good,  the  wise  the  brave, 
"Can  poorly  think,  beneath  the  mouldering  heap 
'  'That  noble  being  shall  forever  sleep? 

"  'No,'  says  the  generous  heart,  and  proudly  swells, 

"  'Though  his  cered  corpse  lies  here, 
"  'With  God  his  spirit  dwells.'  " 

There  are  lessons  for  us  to  learn  today.  We  are  not  to  make 
this  simply  a  festival,  an  hour  of  pleasant  intercourse,  which, 
like  a  dream,  is  forgotten  when  one  awaketh,  shall  pass  from  our 
memories,  as  we  go  forth  again  into  the  battle  of  life.  Every  heart 
here  should  be  glad  to  greet  its  kindred  hearts,  and  every  hand  to 
grasp  its  kindred  hands.  But  then,  we  may  be  profited  by 
relating  to  each  other  something  of  life's  struggle — the  hopes  and 
fears  that  alternately  prevail. 

Oh  !  who  has  not  a  story  to  tell,  an  experience  to  relate  ?  To 
some,  the  wind  has  seemed  to  be  tempered,  while  upon  other 
heads  it  has  poured  out  its  ^severe,  tempestuous  blasts.  With  some 
perhaps  the  pathway  has  been  comparatively  smooth  while  others 
have  found  it  rough  and  thorny.  A  benign  Providence  has  smiled 
upon  some  and  their  barns  have  been  filled  ;  no  bands  have  seemed 
to  bind  them  while  others  again  have  sown  in  tears  and  reaped  in 
sadness.  Yet  let  us  remember  that  we  be  brethren.  If  Joseph 
rules,  it  is  his  brethren  that  have  come  to  buy  corn ;  let  no  sac- 
riligious  hand  destroy  the  band  that  would  bind  together  their 
hearts,  or  invade  the  sacred  precincts  where,  falling  upon  each 
other's  necks,  they  weep.  The  re-union  has  long  been  deferred. 
The  dark  waves  have  rolled  between  them  and  threatened  to 
separate  them  forever,  but  the  hour  has  come  for  these  things  to 


* 


29 


be  past.  Inquire  now,  ye  brethren,  for  each  other's  family  and 
health.  Judah  and  Simeon,  and  Joseph  and  Benjamin,  inquire 
for  the  "old  folks  at  home."  Some  are  not  here — "The  old 
man  of  whom  ye  spake."  This  meeting  should  teach  each  one  of 
us  something  we  did  not  know  before  about  the  different  mem- 
bers of  the  family.  Our  acquaintance  may  have  been  long  and 
intimate,  but  some  trait  of  hidden  virtue  may  be  developed,  some 
new  cord  woven  which  shall  bind  us  the  more  intimately  together. 
Our  acquaintance  is  to  be  enlarged. 

Why,  here  are  a  host  of  little  ones  and  big  ones,  young  in 
years,  that  "knew  not  Joseph"  'till  today.  They  are  members  of 
these  families,  and  at  some  future  re-union,  wll  be  among  the 
fathers  and  mothers,  and  foremost  in  the  movement.  When  we, 
whose  heads  are  now  gray,  and  on  whose  brows  the  "crow  feet" 
but  foreshadow  the  coming  winter  of  life,  shall  have  gone  to  our 
long  home,  when  these  stalwart  young  men,  and  cheerful 
maidens,  with  rosy  cheeks,  have  grown  old  with  age,  may  the 
experiences  of  this  day  be  repeated,  and  the  story  told  in  the  ears 
of  the  unborn  multitude.  And  as  we  weave  garlands  and  place 
them  around  the  names  of  our  ancestors,  and  make  their  graves 
beautiful  with  the  flowers  that  affection  strews  upon  them,  so  may 
others  remember  our  names  and  deeds. 

Let  us  learn  more  than  ever  to  honor  the  fathers  and  mothers 
that  remain  with  us,  and  bow  at  their  feet  to  receive  their  coun- 
sel and  blessing.  There  is  no  more  beautiful  picture,  to  my 
mind,  than  that  of  the  children  of  the  old  patriarch  Jacob,  as  they 
gather  around  his  dying  bed  to  receive  his  parting  blessing. 
They  had  often  gathered  about  him  before.  They  had  doubtless 
told  him  their  little  jealousies.  How  they  envied  Joseph  on 
account  of  the  favorism  shown  him.  Of  their  intention  to  slay 
him,  and  of  Reuben's  intercession  for  him,  and  Judah's  propo- 
sition to  sell  him  as  a  slave  to  the  Ishmaelites.  The  whole 
story  had  come  to  the  ears  of  Jacob,  and  he  had  been  constrained 
to  say  that  God  overruled  it  all  for  good.  Now  they  gather  for 
his  last  blessing  upon  them.  He  calls  to  their  remembrance  the 
names  of  his  ancestors,  and  the  blessings  God  had  promised  them 
and  their  descendants,  and  requests  them  to  bury  him  with  his 
fathers,  even  in  the  cave  which  Abraham  bought  in  the  land  of 
promise.  The  spirit  longs  to  be  with  the  fathers  in  the  land  of 
rest,  and  desires  the  body  to  be  laid  with  theirs  in  the  tomb.  A 
few  of  the  fathers  and  mothers  who  knew  a  former  generation,  yet 
remain  with  us.  Their  number  is  growing  rapidly  less.  New  made 
graves  are  almost  constantly  being  opened  to  receive  some  saintly, 


BO 


beloved  form.  Let  us  prize  those  that  remain,  more  than  ever. 
Oh !  I  want  their  blessing  upon  my  head  before  the}'  go  hence. 
I  want  to  hear  more  of  their  counsel  and  experience,  before  their 
lips  are  closed  in  death. 

Once  more,  let  us  be  reminded  of  the  time  coming,  when  there 
is  to  be  a  grand  re-union  of  the  saintly  hosts  around  the  throne  of 
God.  We  are  surrounded  to-day  by  an  innumerable  crowd  of 
witnesses.  What  a  company !  It  seems  to  me,  I  can  almost  see 
them  !  It  seems  that  the  old  fathers  and  mothers  who  worshiped 
in  this  temple  years  ago,  are  with  us.  I  go  back  a  hundred  years, 
in  imagination,  and  the  Kinders,  and  Davises,  and  Nobles,  of 
that  age  and  day,  with  a  host  of  others,  are  around  us.  How  they 
sang  and  prayed.  This  old  temple  seems  to  echo  again  with  their 
shouts  and  songs.  There  are  the  grey-headed  sires,  and  the  infant 
of  days.  They  are  in  the  unseen  multitude  now — the  host  of 
disembodied  saints !  Our  eyes  are  holden,  we  cannot  see  them,  it 
is  only  a  flight  of  imagination  !  But  let  us  move  on  down  the 
ages,  until  the  cycling  years  of  time  are  ended.  The  Arch-Angel 
with  the  trumpet  declares  that  time  shall  be  no  more.  The 
tombs  are  bursting.  All  these  old  grave  yards  are  torn  in  pieces, 
and  the  graves  are  opened.  Behold  the  multitude  as  they  come 
forth  !  See  that  saintly  host  gathering  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne!  What  a  company!  It  is  a  re-union  of  the  godly  of  all 
ages,  and  our  faith  is,  that  a  multitude  of  these  families  repre- 
sented hereto-day,  will  be  there.     Oh,  may  we  all   be  there! 

"Over  the  river  they  beckon  to  me, 

Loved  ones  who  have  crossed  to  the  further  side, 
The  gleam  of  their  shadowy  robes  I  see, 

Their  voices  are  drowned  in  the  rushing  tide. 
They  crossed  in  the  twilight  grey  and  cold, 

And  the  pale  mist  hid  them  from  mortal  view. 
We  saw  not  the  angels  who  met  them  there, 

The  gates  of  the  city  we  could  not  see. 
Over  the  river,  over  the  river, 

Our  fathers  are  waiting  for  you  and  me." 

"Over  the  river,  the  boatman  pale 

Carried  others— our  household  pets, 
Their  brown  curls  waved  in  the  gentle  gale, 

Darling  children!    I  see  them  yet. 
They  crossed  on  their  bosoms  their  dimpled  hands, 

And  fearlessly  entered  the  phantom  bark; 
We  watched  it  glide  from  the  silver  sands, 

And  all  our  sunshine  grew  strangely  dark. 
We  know  they  are  safe  on  the  other  side, 

Where  all  the  ransomed  and  angels  be; 
Over  the  river,  the  mystic  river, 

Our  household  idols  wait  for  you  and  me," 


Address  of 

Rev.  A.  W.  Milby,  P.  E. 


We  are  assembled  to  celebrate  the  re-union  of  thiee  families, 
to  wit ;  Davis,  Kinder,  and  Noble. 

Mankind  exists  in  three  conditions  ordained  of  God;  in  the 
family;  in  the  nation  ;  in  the  church.  The  family  includes  per- 
son, the  nation  is  composed  of  families,  and  the  church  compre- 
hends nations.  And  as  the  family  is  the  first,  so  it  will  be  the 
last  form  of  human  development,  as  the  Apostle  speaks  of  the 
whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth. 

This  general  introduction  prepares  the  way  for  a  four-fold 
division  of  the  subject.  We  will  then  consider  you,  firstly, 
analytically  ;  secondly,  synthetically  ;  thirdly,  anithetically  ; 
and,  in  the  fourth  place,  potentially. 

In  considering  you  analytically,  we  must  resolve  you  into 
parts,  and  thus  address  you  individually,  and  impress  upon  you, 
severally,  the  great  idea  of  personal  responsibility.  A  thought- 
ful man  asks,  what  is  time?  Who  can  readily  and  briefly  explain 
this?  Who  can,  even  in  thought,  comprehend  it,  so  as  to  utter 
a  word  about  it?  But  what,  in  discourse,  do  we  mention  more 
familiarly  and  knowingly  than  time?  And  we  understand  when 
we  speak  of  it;  we  understand,  also,  when  we  hear  it  spoken  of 
by  another.  What,  then,  is  time  ?  If  no  one  asks  me  I  know  ; 
if  I  wish  to  explain  it  to  one  that  asketh,  I  know  not  ;  yet  I  say 
boldly  that  I  know,  that  if  nothing  passed  away,  time  past  were 
not;  and  if  nothing  were  coming,  a  time  to  come  were  not;  and 
if  nothing  were,  time  present  were  not.  Those  two  timess  past 
and  to  come,  how  are  they  ?  Seeing  the  past  now  is  not,  and 
that  to  come  is  not  yet,  but  the  present,  should  it  always  be 
present,  and  never  pass  into  time  past,  verily,  it  should  not  be 
time,  but  eternity.  If,  therefore,  time  present,  in  order  to  be 
time  at  all,  comes  into  existence  only  because  it  passes  into  tim  e 
past,  how  can  we  say  that  that  is  in  existence  whose  cause  of  being 
is, that  it  shall  not  be?  How  is  it  we  can  not  truly  say  that  time 
is,  but  because  it  is  tending  not  to  be? 


32 


The  difficulty  of  properly  appreciating  the  present  moment 
arises  from  a  delusion  practiced  upon  the  understanding.  As  the 
ancients,  in  their  ignorance,  imagined  the  earth  to  be  a  vast  plain 
instead  of  an  immense  globe,  so  we,  in  our  foil}',  conceive  of 
time  past,  present  and  to  come,  as  a  continuous  line;  whereas 
the  time  present  more  truly  resembles  a  point  at  which  an  infinite 
number  of  imaginary  circles  meet. 

Thus  the  present  hour  touches  the  present  moment;  the 
present  day  meets  the  present  hour  at  the  point  of  the  immediate 
now  ;  and  the  present  week  coalesces  with  the  present  day  and  the 
present  hour  in  the  present  time ;  and  the  present  month  meets 
the  present  week  and  the  present  day,  and  the  present  hour  in 
the  immediate  present  moments.  So,  also,  the  present  year 
touches  the  present  month,  and  the  present  week,  and  the  present 
day,  and  the  hour  in  the  present  moment. 

Thus  we  may  go  on  until  we  shall  see,  that  in  reality  as  to 
all  the  consequences  of  our  being  and  well-being,  the  great  cycle 
or  infinite  orb  of  eternity  touches  upon  this  particular,  punctual 
spot. 

Hence,  instead  of  considering  this  moment  as  part  of  an  imag- 
inary line  of  unbroken  continuity,  we  ought  to  regard  it  as  a 
centre  of  power  developing  itself  concentrically,  and  the  various 
acts  of  our  lives  in  this  world  as  having  a  controlling  power  over 
our  destiny  in  that  world  where  an  eternal  now  forever  lasts. 

In  order  to  correct  impressions  made  upon  the  mind  by  exter- 
nal objects,  let  us  imagine  a  man  with  his  feet  firmly  planted 
upon  a  block  of  wood,  which  rests  securely  upon  the  ground;  he 
would  feel  safe ;  proximity  to  the  earth,  and  the  presence  of 
surrounding  objects,  would  impart  an  air  of  composure  and  self- 
possession  ;  but  suppose  by  some  mechanical  power  that  piece  of 
wood  is  made  to  rise,  silently  and  steadily,  with  every  fluxion  of 
its  advance  there  would  creep  over  him  a  feeling  of  insecurity, and 
his  ascent,  if  continued  to  a  great  altitude  would  become  abso- 
lutely perilous.  Now  why  is  this  ?  You  cannot  resolve  the 
whole  question  by  a  simple  reference  to  the  law  of  gravitation, 
for  according  to  our  supposition,  the  power  beneath  him  is  amply 
sufficient  to  counteract  the  force  of  gravity. 

The  present  moment  is,  then,  the  summing  up — the  epitome — 
the  abridgment  of  eternity.  Your  present  character  is  the  result 
of  the  combination  of  circumstances  which  have  entered  into  your 
antecedent  history;  causes  external  and  internal,  have  acted  and 
reached  and  made  you  what  you  now  are;  what  you  will  be  de- 
pends very  much  upon  the  decisions  of  the  present  time. 


33 


We  can,  with  the  utmost  precision,  tell  an  eclipse  of  the 
moon,  and  of  the  sun  ;  we  can  determine  the  distance  of  a  fixed 
star  scarcely  visable  by  the  aid  of  the  most  powerful  telescope. 
We  can  calculate  the  velocity  of  the  planets,  as  they  move  in 
their  orbits  through  the  regions  of  infinite  space.  We  can  do 
almost  anything  and  everything  but  sound  the  mysterious  depths 
of  the  human  will.  The  decisions  of  the  present  can  only  be 
made  manifest  by  the  time  to  come. 

'Tis  not  for  man  to  trifle.    Iyife  is  brief 

And  sin  is  here; 
Our  age  is  but  the  falling  of  a  leaf, 

A  dropping  tear. 
We  have  no  time  to  sport  away  the  hours; 
All  must  be  earnest  in  a  world  like  ours; 

Not  many  lives,  but  only  one,  have  we — 

One,  only  one; 
How  sacred  should  that  one  life  ever  be, 

That  narrow  span! 
Day  after  day  filled  up  with  blessed  toil, 
Hour  after  hour  still  brings  in  new  spoil. 

We  come  now  to  the  second  part  of  our  subject  which  is  to 
consider  you  synthetically.  Now  in  this  we  are  obliged  to  put 
you  back  into  your  original  places  where  Providence  has  put  you 
in  the  family,  in  society,  and  in  the  church.  As  the  christian 
is  the  highest  style  of  man,  we  exhort  you  as  travelers  upon  the 
highway  of  life.  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens  and  so  fulfill 
the  law  of  Christ. 

Some  there  are  who  are,  contitutionally,  very  desponding, 
always  looking  on  the  dark  side  of  every  picture,  and  harassing 
their  minds  with  the  apprehension  of  imaginary  evils.  Such  are 
subject  to  great  depression  of  spirits,  and  in  that  state  no  more 
capable  of  judging  of  their  religious  condition  than  the  eye  can 
see  itelf.  How  prone  are  persons  of  such  temperament  to  write 
bitter  things  against  themselves.  The  ailments  of  their  body 
give  a  color  to  their  spiritual  exercises,  and  while  their  des- 
pondency is  a  hindrance  to  their  own  spiritual  enjoyment,  they 
frequently  infuse  their  melancholy  forebodings  into  the  cup  of 
pleasure  of  those  around  them.  With  such  minds  there  can  be  little 
sympathy  with  those  who  are  of  a  more  joyous  and  buoyant  spirit; 
and  without  mutual  forbearance  and  due  consideration  of  diver- 
sities of  temperament,  the  asperities  of  life's  journey  will  be 
greatly  augmented.  Christian  kindness  should  teach  you  to  study 
well  the  character  and  disposition  of  such,  and  not  aggravate 


34 


their  already  afflicted  minds  by  any  harsh  and  unkind  expressions. 

There  are  others  who  are  naturally  light  and  volatile.  Such 
is  the  peculiarity  of  their  disposition,  that  they  never  get  credit 
for  the  piety  they  actually  possess.  It  was  the  remark  of  Mr. 
Whitefield  that  an  ounce  of  grace  would  show  more  in  some  per- 
sons, than  a  pound  would  in  others.  Moroseness  and  stern 
austerity  have  often  passed  in  this  world  as  true  godliness,  and 
many  a  man  has  obtained  reputation  for  piety  more  through  a 
bad  stomach,  than  a  good  heart.  The  austere,  unsocial  virtues  of 
John  the  Baptist  made  a  more  profound  impression  upon  the  pub- 
lic mind  than  the  meek  unostentatious  piety  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
Our  Savious  does  not  condemn  that  type  of  piety  which  was  exem- 
plified in  his  forerunner  without  its  natural  abuses,  but  He  does 
not  extol  it  as  the  most  desirable,  and  His  own  example  favors 
the  more  amiable  virtues. 

I  make  not  these  observations  to  extenuate  folly  or  excuse 
levity,  but  to  caution  persons  of  an  opposite  temperament  not  to 
be  too  hasty  to  blot  from  the  book  of  life  the  names  of  those 
whose  infirmity  is  an  exuberance  of  animal  spirit. 

Others  there  are  of  a  peculiar  serious  and  thoughtful  turn  of 
mind.  Religion  with  them  is  an  exceedingly  solemn  concern. 
Their  very  solemnity,  in  fact,  has  more  the  appearance  of  super- 
stitious dread,  than  of  a  filial,  loving  fear  of  offending  God, 
When  reminded  that  like  as  a  Father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the 
Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him,  they  are  ready  to  reply  ;  it  is  a 
fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God.  You  would 
imagine  them  continually,  musing  on  such  sentiment,  as  those 
expressed  by  the  poet : 

No  room  for  mirth  and  trifling  here, 
For  worldly  hope  or  worldly  fear 
If  life  so  soon  be  gone; 
If  now  the  judge  is  at  the  door 
And  all  mankind  must  stand  before 
The  inexorable  throne! 

Now  without  objecting  to  the  poetry  questioning  the  senti- 
ment expressed,  we  do,  nevertheless,  think  that  this  world  is 
something  more  than  a  place  to  diet  in,  and  man  should  not  al- 
ways look  as  if  he  were  going  to  a  funeral.  The  very  rejoicings 
of  the  bouyant  and  hopeful  are,  to  such  minds,  indications  of 
presumptious  confidence.  And  they  are  often  surprised  that 
others,  by  whom  they  are  surrounded,  who  are  by  no  means  remark- 
able in  their  religious  life,  can  go  from  the  enjoyment  of  the 
innocent  festivities  of  pleasure  to  the  Sanctuary,  and  unite  with 


36 


fervor  with  the  assembly  of  God's  people,  as  though,  like  Anna, 
they  departed,  not  from  the  temple.  Others  there  are  who  are 
exceedingly  fond  of  decorating  their  persons,  very  much  to  the 
annoyance  of  those  who  regard  plainness  of  apparel  as  no  bad  in- 
dication of  inward  holiness.  Now  such  persons  are  disposed  to 
say  to  the  remonstrances  of  those  who  are  more  plain  in  their 
dress,  such  things  don't  hurt  me;  which  is  certainly  true. 

Gold  and  costly  apparel  never  hurt  anybody,  but  they  are 
frequently  the  sign  that  those  who  wear  them  have  been  most 
seriously  injured.  But  how  shall  we  settle  this  interminable 
controversy  between  two  distinct  classes  in  the  church  of  God  ? 
Though  we  may  not  all  agree  as  to  what  is  wrong,  yet  there  is  by 
no  means  unanimity  of  opinion  concerning  what  is  precisely 
right. 

With  the  variety  of  tastes  among  men  and  women,  uniformity 
of  dress  is  by  no  means  possible,  if  desirable.  The  question  is 
not  to  be  determined  by  the  subtle  rules  of  logic  or  the  arts  of 
casuists,  but  must  come  for  adjudication  before  the  bar  of  every 
christian  conscience.  In  the  mean  time  bear  one  another's  burden. 

Again,  there  are  others  who  are,  naturally,  censorious ;  dis- 
posed to  find  fault  with  everything ;  their  aim  being,  as  they 
would  fain  have  others  believe,  to  bring  the  church  up  to  a  more 
commanding  style  of  life  and  duty.  You  observe  I  present  not 
this  disposition  in  contrast  with  any  other  of  an  opposite 
character,  but  as  viewed  in  opposition  to  every  other  disposi- 
tion ;  for  the  individual  possessing  it  assumes  the  unenviable 
position  of  public  censor,  and  every  one  must  pass,  if  possible, 
the  inspection  of  his  jaundiced  eye ;  nor  would  I  so  much  as 
mention  this  as  an  infirmity,  but  as  a  virtue,  if  the  complaints  of 
such  persons  terminated  upon  themselves;  but  such  is  not  the 
case;  they,  in  their  own  conceit,  are  perfect  paragons  of  excel- 
lence, and  the  faults  are  all  in  their  brethren.  [f  such  persons 
will  not  give  up  the  offensive  practice,  and  correct  the  infirmity 
by  a  strict  and  careful  watchfulness,  it  is  a  burden  that  must  be 
endured. 

What  a  burden  ! !  Lord  help ! ! 

The  last  we  shall  notice,  are  those  which  arise  out  of  the  man- 
ifestation of  religious  emotion.  These  are  as  various  as  the  dispo- 
sitions of  men.  Some  there  are  who  are,  constitutionally,  very 
quiet.  They  move  with  the  regularity  and  precision  of  the  most 
exquisite  piece  of  mechanism. 

No  transports  or  rhapsodies  disturb  the  even  tenor  of  their 
experience;  with  feet  firmly  planted  upon  earth,  and  eye  steadily 
gazing  upon  the  recompense  of  reward,  the  vanities  of  this  world 


36 


obscure  not  their  vision  of  heavenly  beatitudes,  and  their  foot- 
steps are  as  sure  as  the  earth  upon  which  they  tread.  Their  lives 
are  marked  by  no  great  and  sudden  transitions,  as  if  by  a  leap 
they  had  passed  some  fearful  chasm  ;  while  others,  all  emotion  and 
sensibility,  are  either  borne  aloft  upon  the  topmost  wave  of 
glorious  expectation,  or  precipitated  into  abysmal  depths  of  self- 
dejection. 

How  is  it  possible  to  mould  temperaments  of  such  opposite 
character  after  the  same  pattern  ?  Nothing  is  more  common 
than  to  hear  persons  of  the  former  character  saying,  religion  does 
not  consist  in  noise  and  extravagant  expressions  of  the  feelings; 
while  those  of  the  latter,  skeptically  ask,  how  is  it  possible  to 
have  the  love  of  God  without  shouting  aloud  the  praises  of  Him 
who  loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us  ? 

Now  both  are  wrong ;  religion  does  not  make  us  the  same 
creatures,  but  new  creatures,  with  all  that  variety  of  disposition 
after,  as  before,  that  wonderful  transformation. 

We  come  now  to  the  anithetical  part  of  our  subject,  which, 
for  completeness,  we  must  not  omit.  We  are  necessitated  to 
compare;  comparisons  are  often  invidious,  and  sometimes  odious. 
I  will  endeavor  to  pursue  my  way  through  the  intricacies  of  this 
part  of  my  subject  without  giving  any  offense.  Without  saying 
anything  as  to  the  wisdom  of  your  forefathers,  I  venture  to  affirm 
you  surpass  them  amazingly  in  self-conceit.  You  would  do  well 
to  remember  that  this  age,  though  an  age  of  railroads,  telegraph 
and  telephones,  yet  it  is  also  an  age  of  gas,  and  every  jet  is  not 
an  electric  light. 

Again,  you  are  not  as  good  looking  as  your  parents  fondly 
hoped  you  would  be.  In  this  you  have  wonderfully  disappointed 
expectations.  Bright,  beautiful,  and  charming  creatures  you 
once  were  when  looked  at  by  your  parents  through  the  glittering 
iris  of  their  affections,  but  you  have  developed  into  mortals  very 
much  after  the  common  mould. 

Then  you  are  not  as  good  as  you  would  have  been  had  you, 
in  all  respects,  followed  the  example  and  obeyed  the  precepts  of 
those  who  have  gone  on  before  you. 

We  come  now  to  that  part  of  our  subject  which,  for  the  want 
of  a  better  word,  we  call  the  potential  aspect,  which,  in  the 
main,  is  very  dark  and  difficult  to  unfold. 

The  only  point  luminous  is,  that  the  occasion  gives  the 
grandest  scope  to  the  possibilities  of  an  old  bechelor's  nature. 
If  he  looks  forward,  he  beholds  the  dark  shadow  of  death — and 
death  will  swallow  him  up,  and  blot  out  his  memorial  forever. 
Hence,  an  old  bachelor  must  look  backward,  or  down  his  nose; 


37 


he  cannot  look  forward,  and  this  is  the  time  to  look  back. 

What  further  I  have  to  say  I  can  best  present  in  the  form  of 
interrogatories. 

To-wit  :  Had  your  mothers  not  have  had  your  fathers,  would 
you  have  had  a  re-union  ?  If  so,  tell  us ;  When  ?  How  ?  and 
Where  ? 

If  not;  Is  not,  then,  this  assemblage  a  rebuke  to  a  self-chosen, 
self-inflicted  state  of  bachelorism  ? 


Address  of 

Judge  Levi  D.  Travers* 


I  look,  today,  upon  the  faces  of  nearly  all  of  this  large  assem- 
bly for  the  first  time.  As  I  stand  before  you  and  speak  the 
inquiry  may  arise  in  your  minds :  who  is  this  stranger  that  dares 
to  break  in  upon  the  unity  of  this  family  gathering  with  his 
presence  and  address?  It  will  not  surprise  you,  long,  when  I  tell 
you,  lam  a  lineal  descendant — (and  four  generations  away)— of 
Henry  the  1st,  from  England— (not  King  Henry) — who,  less  than 
two  centuries  agone,  came  to  the  colony  of  Maryland,  as  a  school 
teacher,  and  soon  became  absolute  ruler  of  11  acres  of  land  on 
Taylor's  Island.  For  forty  years,  perhaps,  he  lived  in  his 
castle  and  reigned  peaceably  over  his  empire,  without  conquest  of 
territory  or  purchase  of  addition  to  his  kingdom. 

His  life  was  devoted  to  the  cause  of  education  and  the  admin- 
istration of  justice,  subservient  to  the  authority  of  Lord  Baltimore, 
and  as  a  representative  of  the  people  in  the  Colonial  legislature. 
His  living,  eldest  male  descendant,  is  myself  with  two  others, 
only  surviving  in  manhood. 

But  why  am  I  here  ?  The  two  little  boys  attendant  with  me 
in  this  visitation,  may,  in  fact,  furnish  the  answer.  They  can 
tell  you  that  through  their  bodies  courses  the  Trayers  as  well  as 
the  Noble  blood.  I  modestly  confess  how  distinguished  my 
relations  are  here  today ;  in  the  fact  that  my  eldest  daughter  is 
the  wife  of  a  Noble-man's  son,  and  my  little  grandsons  bid  fair 
to  be  Noble-men  themselves. 

It  is  that  which  makes  my  appearance  among  you  justifiable 
in  immediate  association  with  Noble  men  and  Noble  women. 

How  it  lifts  a  man  up,  in  the  world,  especially  in  his  own 
estimation,  to  have  conspicuous  and  Noble  family  connections!  I 
fully  appreciate  the  dignity  of  these  relations.  I  estimate  family 
dignity,  principally,  by  the  standard  of  uniform,  good,  innate 
principles ;  the  establishment  of  good  character,  good  citizenship 
and  piety,  rather  than  by  a  lofty  family  ancestry,  without  regard 
to  those  virtues,  upon  which  elevation  and  royalty  in  life  ought 
to  be  dependent. 


39 


I  esteem  it  an  honor,  therefore,  and  a  blessing  to  humanity 
to  have  kindred  associations  with  the  Davis',  Kinders',  and  Noble 
families.  It  is  a  privilege  and  a  joy  to  me,  to  be  here.  This 
is  an  auspicious  occasion.  All  nature  tranquilly  smiles  upon 
this  scene. 

The  sun  never  shone  upon  a  more  beautiful,  bracing,  balmy 
day;  fit  emblem  of  the  life  and  character  of  this  triune  family. 

The  passing  year  has  come  to  full  maturity  of  life,  and  is 
appproaching  its  termination,  now,  with  gilded  beauty  and 
mellowness.  So  have  the  aged  sires  of  these  families,  in  all  their 
history,  passed  into  the  autumn  of  their  lives,  with  characters 
adorned  with  moral  beauty  and  christian  attractiveness. 

I  have  listened  with  interest,  and  admiration,  to  the  several 
representative  addresses,  which  have  mainly  guided  me  in  my 
words  of  compliment  and  eulogy.  You  may  well  be  proud,  in 
the  spiiit  of  gratitude  to  God,  of  your  family  history.  Its  pages 
are  well  and  nobly  written  in  the  lives  of  your  ancestry.  What 
worthy  examples  have  the  young,  in  the  lives  of  departed  sires, 
and  in  many  of  the  fathers  yet  living,  of  moral  excellence, 
christian  devotion,  and  firmness  of  purpose !  The  record  of  their 
lives  has  been  kept  by  the  rule  of  double-entry — The  day  book  of 
this  life  and  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life!'  When  I  view  and  con- 
template this  grand  old  church  edifice,  that  is  co-existent  with  the 
independence  and  liberty  of  our  great  country,  and  with  the  work 
of  Methodism  on  this  Peninsula  of  Delaware,  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia, and  associate  these  families  with  the  christian  instruction 
here  imparted  to  them,  with  the  happy  experiences  they  have 
received  within  her  hallowed  courts,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion 
that  Methodism  has  indeed  been  a  "Bethel"  to  them,  yea,  one  of 
the  chief  agencies  of  the  success  and  happiness  they  have  attained 
in  this  life.  Methodist  doctrine  and  spirit  has  been  well  suited 
to  constitute  them  worthy  citizens,  good  christians,  and  a  uni- 
formly happy  and  contented  people.  The  conjugal  relations  of 
these  families  have  been  fortunate,  in  that  there  was  the  blending 
of  a  natural  bent  towards  good  dispositions  and  principles ; — when 
exception  has  occurred  in  the  lives  of  any  of  their  offspring,  it 
was  the  probable  result  of  the  admixture  of  blood,  making  a 
combination  in  nature,  of  the  naturally  bad,  with  the  naturally 
good  dispositions,  followed  by  the  influence  of  bad  social  com- 
panions in  youth.  I  would  guard  the  young,  entering  now  upon 
maturing  life,  in  respect  to  the  company  they  keep  and  against 
any  matrimonial  alliance  that  would  associate  bad  natural  dispo- 
sitions, habits  and  tastes,  so  out  of  harmony  with  that  of  your 
own  families. 


40 


I  do  not  discourage,  but  greatly  approve,  judicious  marital 
selections,  outside  of  family  kindred,  for  both  physical  and 
mental  reasons.  This  is  a  re-union  of  the  living.  Many  links  of 
the  family  chain  have  been  broken  off  at  the  grave  and  are  hid- 
den from  mortal  view.  There  is,  today,  a  fond  memory  of  the 
Davis,  Kinder,  and  Noble  dead.  The  links,  of  the  family  chain, 
are  only  broken  in  earthen  vessels  ;  in  spirit  the  chain  is  unbroken 
— mutual  love,  binds  it  forever:  Spirit  blends  with  spirit — un- 
perceived,  the  glorified  departed  may  now  throng  with  you  in 
this  sacred  place.  Angels  are  looking  on  with  wonder,  at  this 
exhibition  of  love  and  unity  in  a  fallen  world.  The  dozen  min- 
isters of  God  present,  successors  to  those  they  have  followed  in 
the  ministry  of  this  church  and  vicinity,  are  cheered  in  the 
midst  of  their  toils,  with  the  evident  success  of  the  gospel,  in 
the  history  of  your  families.  May  this  hallowed  occasion,  which 
has  brought  to  your  minds  and  hearts,  such  pleasant  memories  of 
family  history,  encourage  and  stimulate  you  to  more  glorious  deeds 
in  the  race  of  life,  and  a  fuller  consecration  of  yourselves  to  the 
God  of  your  fathers.  May  your  family  history,  in  the  future, possess 
all  the  excellences  of  its  past,  and  more,  and  exhibit  greater  force 
and  capacity  in  its  influence  in  the  world^for  good,  [as  the  years  of 
time  roll  on.  And  when  the  world's  record  is  fully  made  up, 
preparatory  to  the  general  assizes,  and  heaven's  loud  auditor  shall 
step  down  upon  the  earth's  platform  of  land  and  sea,  and  sound 
out  the  funeral  dirge  of  time,  to  the  hearing  of  both  the  living 
and  the  dead  ;  when  Jesus  comes  in  the  clouds,  bringing  the  spirits 
of  the  just  made  perfect,  may  you,  and  all  of  yours,  who  now  lie 
in  the  cemeteries  of  the  dead,  come  forth  in  bodily  form,  and 
rising  with  transfigured  splendor  to  meet  your  coming  Lord  in  the 
air.  May  you  then  with  him  ascend  above  the  arches  of  the 
etherial  sky,  to  the  heaven  of  heavens,  and  be  crowned  and 
quartered  upon  the  everlasting  hills  of  glory.  You  have  sweetly 
sung  today.  May  you  then,  flushed  with  an  overpowering  joy  of 
full  and  final  victory,  with  harps  in  hand,  sing  "Unto  Him  that 
loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His  own  blood,  and  hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father;  to  Him  be 
glory  and  dominion  forever  and  ever.  Amen." 


Thoughts  on  Visiting  Bethel  ♦ 


A  Country  Church. 


Oh,  Bethel!  'round  thy  sacred  walls 
My  memory  lingers  and  recalls, 
Full  many  a  scene  of  other  days, 
Cemented  with  this  holy  place. 

'Twas  here  where  first  my  voice  did  raise 
In  song,  to  lisp  a  Saviour's  praise — 
'Twas  here  my  youthful  footsteps  trod, 
To  bow  my  infant  knees  to  God. 

And  here,  beneath  this  hallowed  roof, 
I  first  beheld  the  light  of  truth 
Shine  from  the  sacred  page  divine — 
A  Saviour's  love  to  all  mankind. 

Full  many  a  storm  has  swept  amain 
O'er  my  frail  bark,  but  now  again 
I  sit  within  thy  walls,  to  join 
In  praises  to  thy  sacred  shrine. 

But,  as  I  turn  my  eyes,  they  meet 
With  many  a  long  and  vacant  seat; 
Where  once  gray  fathers  sat  to  sing 
The  praises  of  their  Heavenly  King. 

But,  they  are  gone,  and  'neath  the  sod 
Their  bodies  slumber;  while  with  God 
Their  spirits  swell  the  courts  above, 
"With  praises  of  redeeming  love." 

Yes,  Bethel,  'round  thy  sacred  walls 

My  memory  lingers  and  recalls 

Some  friend  of  youth,  that  death  has  borne, 

To  that  bourne  from  whence  there's  no  return. 

Oh!  when  the  dream  of  life  is  past, 
And  Death's  cold  arms  are  round  me  cast, 
Then  lay  me  'neath  the  oaks  to  rest, 
That  shade  the  sepulcher  of  the  blest. 


Federalsburg,  1849. 


% 


Second  ffie^nion 


RE-UNION  OF  THE 


I 

B 

Davis,  Noble  and  Kinder  Families 

Held  at  Bethel  M.  E.  Church 
October  29th,  1895. 

|HE  second  Re-union  of  the  Noble,  Davis  and  Kin- 
der Families  was  held  at  Bethel  M.  E.  Church 
October  29th,  1895.  The  day  decided  on  dawned 
clear,  bright  and  crisp,  everything  conspired  to 
make  it  an  ideal  October  day.  The  following  program 
was  ushered  in  as  early  as  could  be. 

PROGRAMME 

Organ  voluntary,  Miss  M.  P.  Warren. 
Organization  by  electing  Dr.  J.      Noble,  Chairman, 
J.  Noble  Warren,  Secretary. 

Singing,  "And  are  we  yet  alive." 
Prayer  by  Rev.  T.  G.  Eiswald. 
Singing,  "Safely." 

Address  of  Welcome  by  pastor,  Rev.  T.  S.  Williams, 
D.  D. 

Reply  to  Address  of  Welcome,  Rev.  P.  H.  Rawlins. 
Solo,  ''The  ninety  and  nine,"  Rev.  Edward  Davis. 
"Singing,  "Thus  far  the  Lord  has  led  us  on." 
Address,  History  of  Kinder  Family,  S.  W.  Kinder. 
Address,  History  of  Noble  Family,  I.  S.  Warren. 
Address,  History  of  Davie  Family,  Rev.  Edward  Davis. 
Singing,  "One  family,  etc." 
Adjournment  for  dinner. 


45 

Afternoon  services  were  opened  with  organ  voluntary 
by  Miss  Blanche  Davis. 

Singing  in  charge  of  Federalsburg  Choir  who  sang 
some  very  fine  selections. 

Solo  by  Rev.  Edward  Davis. 

Address  by  Hon.  J.  S.  Willis. 

Poem  by  Mrs.  A.  O.  Kinder  read  by  Master  Warren 
Kinder.      w-'^^v^-x^'N^  a-  V  ^--A^W  Y^'W^w 

^"^Smgtng,  "We'll  never  say  good-bye." 
Dismission. 

There  having  been  no  provision  made  for  publishing 
the  proceedings  in  pamphlet  form,  the  Federalsburg  Cour- 
ier very  kindly  offered  to  publish  the  addresses  of  the  sev- 
eral speakers,  which  can  be  found  in  the  issues  of  Novem- 
ber 9  and  November  16,  1895,  also  on  the  following  pages. 


_ 


The  Kinder  Family 


By  S.  W.  Kinder,  Esq. 

Chosen  by  the  committee  of  arrangements  to  represent,  and 
note  the  changes  in  the  Kinder  family  during  the  decade  past. 

In  a  retrospect  of  the  ten  years  which  have  elapsed  since  our 
last  reunion  in  1885  many  have  been  the  changes.  What  hopes, 
what  fears,  what  joys,  what  heartaches  have  we  met  since  we 
assembled  last,  "but  out  of  all  the  Lord  has  led  us  by  his  love." 
And  we  meet  in  this  beautiful  new  house  this  bright  October  day 
finding  the  balance  on  the  right  side  of  Life's  Ledger,  and  note 
with  sadness,  not  however  unmingled  with  hope,  those  who  have 
met  in  the  great  Re-union  above. 

Mary  Cannon  Kinder,  widow  of  Jacob  Kinder,  was  born  March 
3,  1813,  and  died  at  the  residence  of  her  son-in-law,  Samuel  A. 
Melson,  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  December  13,  1887.  On  De- 
cember 20,  1832,  she  was  married  to  Jacob  Kinder,  a  man  of 
sterling  integrity  and  devoted  attachment  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Their  home  was  a  house  of  prayer  and  a  resting 
place  for  the  weary  itinerant.  Her  religious  life  was  a  decided 
one.  Her  place  in  the  church,  when  she  was  able  to  attend,  was 
never  vacant.  She  was  of  a  very  quiet  temperament  but  all  who 
met  her  felt  that  her  life  was  guided  and  controlled  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.     Her  end  was  peace. 

Sina  Kinder  Wright  was  born  March  14,  1811,  and  died  in 
Harrington  M.  B.  Parsonage,  May  26,  1895.  She  was  converted 
when  in  her  17th  year,  and  joined  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Bethel. 
Was  married  to  Lewis  N.  Wright,  October  28,  1828,  and  moved 
into  the  neighborhood  of  Trinity,  1836.  Soon  after,  they  had 
prayer  meeting  and  preaching  services  in  their  barn.  She  was 
left  a  widow,  December  25,  1883.  The  five  closing  years  of  her 
life  were  spent  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  P.  H.  Rawlins.  Most 
of  that  time,  too  feeble  to  attempt  any  work,  and,  for  the  last  two 
years,  could  not  see  well  enough  to  read.  For  32  years,  she  had 
read  the  Bible  through  from  Genesis  to  Revelations — once  each 
year.  Her  christian  experience  was  always  of  a  positive  character, 
always  regular  at  all  the  services  of  the  church.  She  was  a 
woman  of  strong  personality,  and  of  affairs.     She  made  and  left 


47 


her  impress  upon  all  minds  ;  she  gave  shape,  order  and  consistency 
to  all  matters  which  came  within  the  range  and  province  of  her 
undertakings.  While  all  secular  matters  received  due  and 
prompt  attention,  she  always  found  time  to  attend  to  her 
religious  duties — visiting  the  sick,  administering  the  balm  of 
consolation  to  the  sorrowing,  and  rich  in  aim-deeds,  and  helpful- 
ness to  the  poor  and  those  in  need.  What  was  said  of  one  in  the 
New  Testament,  may  well  be  said  of  her— "She  hath  done  what 
she  could.  "  On  Monday  night,  May  27,  there  was  a  memorial 
service  held  in  Harrington  M.  E.  Church,  Dr.  Martinale,  of 
Milford  in  charge,  who  delivered  an  appropriate  and  impressive 
address.  May  28  funeral  services  took  place  at  Trinity  M.  E. 
Church,  the  place  and  scene  of  her  long  and  arduous  labors. 

Revs.  H.  Miller,  John  Poole,  and  Wm.  Harris,  who  had 
known  her  throughout  the  long  years  of  usefulness,  vied  with 
each  other  in  recalling  and  rehearsing  the  good  works  and  noble 
deeds  of  her  life,  which  must  expand  and  grow  and  live,  though 
she  be  dead.     She  was   laid  to  rest  in   the  Bridgeville  Cemetery. 

John  Morgan  Rawlins  was  born  September  7,  1819.  Mr. 
Rawlins  was  prominent  among  his  compeers.  He  held  for  five 
years  the  office  of  Clerk  of  the  Peace  for  Sussex  County,  Del.  For 
many  years  was  ticket  agent  at  the  R.  R.  Station  in  Georgetown. 
In  1883  was  chosen  Pay  Teller  of  the  Farmers  Bank  of  Georgetown. 
The  latter  position  he  held  until  his  last  illness  made  it  necessary 
for  him  to  resign.  He  filled  all  these  places  of  responsibility  and 
high  trust  with  great  fidelity  and  credit  to  himself  and  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  all  parties  concerned.  Mr.  Rawlins  never 
formally  connected  himself  with  any  branch  of  the  christian 
church,  except  by  baptism,  but  he  was  a  liberal  contributor  and 
regular  attendant  upon  the  services  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church. 

He  could  well  be  called  an  upright  man,  and  an  honest  christian 
gentleman.  He  was  married  to  Sina  Kinder  Rawlins  December 
7,  1879  and  died  July  30,  1893,  after  a  long  and  painful  illness 
which  he  bore  with  great  patience  and  christian  fortitude.  His 
end  was  peace. 

Minnie  Castelia,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Kinder  Lay- 
ton,  who  was  with  us  in  the  delightful  services  of  '85,  has  since 
gone  out  like  a  meteor  through  the  heavens.  Minnie  remembered 
her  Creator  in  the  days  of  her  youth.  In  her  social  qualities  she 
excelled.  One  of  those  bright  sunshiny  spirits  which  scatter 
light,  hope  and  good  cheer  all  around.  Whatever  of  sadness  or 
gloom  might  rest  upon  the  social  circle,  when  Minnie  appeared, 
it  vanished   like  the  mist   before  the   rising  sun.     There  was  a 


48 


subtle  mystic  influence  which  no  human  tongue  can  explain  or  pen 
describe,  bubbling  out  of  the  very  fountains  of  her  life,  which 
made  her  the  shining  mark  of  every  circle,  and  the  charm  and 
delight  of  all  hearts. 

Being  in  somewhat  delicate  health,  she  left  her  home  in  the 
early  part  of  October  1887,  to  visit  her  sister,  Mrs.  Fred  Callo- 
way, of  Denver,  Col.,  hoping  by  change  of  scenery  and  climate 
to  recuperate  and  regain  her  wonted  strength.  For  a  time  her 
health  improved,  frequently  writing  her  friends  that  she  was  much 
better  and  all  the  time  gaining  in  weight.  Thus  she  continued 
through  the  winter,  but  in  the  spring  time  she  was  seized  with  a 
fever  which,  after  two  short  weeks,  affected  her  brain,  and  not- 
withstanding the  intervention  of  the  highest  order  of  medical 
skill  and  all  that  loving  hearts  and  tender  hands  could  do,  on 
the  10th  day  of  April,  1888,  the  pale  horse  and  his  rider  strode 
right  on,  and  seized  the  shining  mark  for  his  own.  Her  remains 
were  conveyed  to  her  country  home,  and  she  quietly  sleeps,  on 
the  hill,  in  the  Bridgeville  Cemetery. 

Catharine  Warren  Shockley,  widow  of  Wm.  V.  Shockley,  who 
was  with  us  at  re-union  of  '85,  has  passed  to  hei  heavenly 
rest.  Some  inquiry  of  her  neighbors  and  friends  brought  the 
answer  that  she  was  a  bright,  sweet,  sunny,  christian  woman,  not 
only  highly  esteemed  for  her  liberality  and  work's  sake,  but 
greatly  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her.  From  girlhood  she  was  a 
member  of  New  Market  M.  E.  Church,  Bllendale  circuit.  The 
writer  frequently  passes  the  quiet  country  cemetery  where  she 
sleeps,  and  a  few  days  ago  stood  by  her  grave  and  copied  the  fol- 
lowing epitaph  from  her  tombstone  with  the  accompanying  verse: 

OUR  MOTHER 
Catharine  K.  Shockley,    wife  of  Wm.  V.   Shockley.  Born 
February^,  1819,  died  February  18,  1888.  Aged  69  years  and  16  days. 

"  Farewell  mother  but  not  forever, 
There  will  be  a  glorious  dawn  ; 
We  shall  meet  to  part,  no  never 
On  the  resurrection  morn." 


The  Noble  Family 


By  I.  S.  Warren. 

Mr.  President,  Ladies,  and  Gentlemen :  The  choice  of  the 
committee  to  represent  the  Noble  family  was  in  my  opinion  an 
unfortunate  one;  and  I  have  become  more  confirmed  in  that 
opinion,  and  the  unfitness  for  the  duty  of  the  one  chosen,  since 
I  have  heard  the  ornate  and  scholarly  utterances  of  the  gentlemen 
chosen  to  represent  the  Davis  and  Kinder  families.  But  having 
enjoyed  such  a  treat  you  will  scarcely  want  to  be  surfeited  with 
good  things,  and  my  lame  effort  may  act  as  an  alternative;  my 
speech,  however,  will  have  one  excellent  feature,  viz.  its  brevity. 

In  the  interval  since  our  re-union  of  1885  time  has  dealt  leni- 
ently with  the  members  of  the  Noble  family. 

The  changes  have  been  comparatively  few.  Some  have  passed 
off  thisstageof  action.  Prominent  amongst  the  deaths  are  William 
Noble,  or  as  he  was  more  familiarly  known,  "Sheriff  Noble," 
who  died  suddenly  while  on  a  visit  to  his  friend,  James  Redden, 
Esq.,  in  Denton,  Caroline  County,  Maryland,  in  the  spring  of 
1890.  A  remarkable  coincidence  connected  with  this  death  was 
the  death,  within  24  hours,  of  his  nephew,  Daniel  F.  Noble,  son 
of  Alexander,  who  had  married  Addie  Kinder,  a  sister  of  his 
uncle's  wife,  Rhoda,  daughter  of  the  late  Warren  Kinder,  thus 
leaving  two  sisters  widows  almost  by  the  same  stroke,  each 
leaving  one  daughter. 

Next  in  this  necrology  comes  Corinne  Johnson,  wife  of  Lyman 
Johnson,  of  Sioux  Rapids,  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr. 
William  D.  Noble,  after  a  protracted  and  painful  illness,  on 
November  3rd,  1890,  leaving  three  children. 

Then  following,  we  find  Addie  Jarrel,  wife  of  Robert  Jarrel, 
of  Greensboro,  Maryland,  a  sister  of  Alexander  and  half  sister,  of 
Rufus  and  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble,  our  president  for  today. 

Amelia  Collins,  a  sister  of  Sheriff  Noble,  who  had  married 
William  Collins  and  moved  to  Kansas,  died  during  the  decade. 

Eliza,  wife  of  Jonathan  T.  Noble,  who  is  with  us  today,  died 
August  3rd,  1892,  leaving  three  children  well  known   in  this 
community.     And  lastly  George  W.  Williams,  who  had  married 
Sarah,  daughter  of  J.  T.  Noble,  died  suddenly  last  March  of 
apoplexy. 


50 


Some  have  married.  Lillian,  daughter  of  Daniel  F.  and 
Addie  Kinder  Noble,  married  Albert  Handy,  who  have  been 
living  in  Philadelphia,  but  who  have  decided  to  cast  in  their  lot 
with  us  and  will  soon  be  living  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Daniel  F. 
Noble. 

George  E.  Noble,  son  of  Daniel  J.  Noble,  married  Alverda 
Handy,  and  who  have  resided  since  their  marriage  in  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  are  now  living  on  the  farm  known  as  the  Solomon 
Noble,  or  Kirk  Farm,  which  they  have  purchased. 

More  or  less  have  been  born ;  perhaps  more. 

Mr.  President,  to  my  mind's  eye  appears  a  broad,  and  elevated 
roadway.  Looking  backward  the  prospective  is  lost  in  the  dim 
and  shadowy  past.  Straining  my  eyes  looking  forward  I  am 
dazzled  by  the  brightness  of  the  sight  for  it  reaches  to  the  portals 
of  Eternity  ;  the  arch  of  this  highway  which  claims  our  attention 
today,  is  supported  by  two  pillars  on  which  I  see  1885 — 1895. 

Looking  backward  a  century  or  more  on  this  thoroughfare, 
crowded  from  side  to  side  I  particularly  notice  three  men,  one 
of  whom  comes  from  a  stock  who  with  unparallelled  courage, more 
or  less  sufficiently  battled  with  the  Roman  power,  and  retreated 
sullenly,  disputing  every  inch  of  ground  to  the  fastness  of  the 
Welsh  Hills,  where  they  have  ever  maintained  their  independence 
and  freedom  and  afterwards  coming  to  this  favored  land  with  all 
the  instincts  of  independence  and  freedom  unimpaired. 

Again  I  look  and  behold  a  sturdy  yeoman  of  the  Netherlands, 
strong  in  purpose,  brawny  of  form,  a  fit  representative  of  a  stock 
who  by  indomitable  patience  have  wrested  a  kingdom  from  the 
sea  and  who  like  Archimedes  when  he  said  "give  me  a  rest  for 
my  fulcome  and  I  will  lift  the  Earth,''  say  give  me  a  place  to 
put  the  water  and  I  will  undertake  not  alone  to  dam  and  pump 
out  the  Zayder  Zoe,  but  the  Atlantic  Ocean  itself. 

Once  more  I  look  and  from  the  cut  of  his  garments  and  the 
peaceful  expression  of  his  countenance  I  judge  the  remaining  one 
to  be  a  follower  of  George  Fox  and  William  Penn,  a  Quaker. 
For  a  time  they  journey  together,  strangers  to  all  and  to  each  other, 
but  being  mutually  attracted,  they  form  an  alliance,  offensive 
and  defensive,  and  together  occupy  the  land  until  now  their 
descendants  have  become  a  somewhat  homogeneous  family,  and 
counted  by  the  myriads  have  made  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the 
rose;  and  today,  Mr.  President,  we  are  met  in  our  second  or 
Decennial  Re-union  to  pledge  each  to  the  other  a  renewed  friend- 
ship. 

We  see  with  us  today  representatives  of  all  three  of  the  men, 
some  of  whom,  as  Mr.  Daniel   B.  Kinder,  Rev.  Edward  Davis, 


51 


Mr.  Jonathan  T.  Noble  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sorden  were  contem- 
porary with  the  fathers  still  lingering  with  the  children.  May 
many  and  peaceful  be  their  years. 

We  see  with  us  young  men  and  maidens  who  are  anxious  and 
ambitious  to  take  up  the  burdens  when  laid  down  by  the  feeble 
hands. 

We  see  boys  and  girls,  large  and  small,  who  will  soon  be 
crowding  to  the  front  eager  to  take  part  in  the  fray.   May  they  be 

"  Not  like  dumb  driven  cattle 
But  heroes  in  the  strife." 

May  we  all  wage  a  good  warfare  and  go  up  on  this  grand 
highway  to  that  Everlasting  Reunion  hard  by  the  Eternal  Throne. 


The  Davis  Family 

By  Rev.  E.  Davis.  Cl^       1  LJ 

Mr.  Chairman  and  near  friends,  I  find  my  name  on  your 
program  and  assigned  to  give  a  short  sketch  of  the  changes  that 
have  occurred  in  the  Davis  family  during  the  past  decade.  I  think 
it  would  have  been  better  to  have  assigned  this  duty  to  some  one 
living  in  your  midst  as  my  fields  of  labor  have  been  so  far  distant 
from  your  community  during  the  last  ten  years  that  I  have  been 
deprived  of  the  means  to  note  the  many  changes  that  have 
occurred.  Therefore  T  will  only  refer  to  the  changes  that  have 
taken  place  among  the  grandchildren  of  my  grandfather  Samuel 
Davis,  who  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  old  church,  Bethel, 
which  stood  a  few  feet  from  this  building  and  remained  for  the 
period  of  114  years.  When  we  met  here  ten  years  ago  in  our  first 
re-union,  he  had  living  at  that  time  seven  grandchildren.  Since 
that  time  two  have  died,  viz.,  Trustin  P.  Davis  and  Alfred  Davis. 
They  have  passed  away. 

Dear  friends,  it  affords  me  great  pleasure  on  this  bright  and 
beautiful  day  to  be  present  to  look  into  the  faces  of  so  many 
dear  friends  and  relatives.  On  my  way  from  Federalsburg  to  this 
place  this  morning,  in  company  with  one  of  my  grandnephews,  he 
informed  me  that  this  re-union  was  being  held  on  his  birthday  ; 
this  remark  brought  to  my  mind  that  this  was  also  the  birthday 
of  one  of  the  great  men  of  our  nation,  viz.,  John  Adams,  who  was 
born  October  29th,  1735,  and  became  the  second  president  of  the 
United  States  of  America.  His  birth  occurred  160  yeais  ago 
today. 

The  circumstances  that  have  brought  us  together  today  seem 
to  carry  me  back  to  the  days  of  my  childhood,  when  I  attended 
school  in  the  old  school-house  which  stood  on  these  historic 
grounds,  I  remember  that  I  used  to  go  to  the  front  door  of  the 
old  church,  and  peep  through  the  cracks  and  regard  it  as  being 
the  house  of  God,  the  place  where  His  people  assembled  to  wor- 
ship the  true  and  living  God.  This  made  a  deep  impression  on 
my  mind  and  from  that  time  I  have  always  had  a  reverence  for 
the  house  of  God. 

Great  have  been  the  changes  in  almost  everything  since  that 


53 


time ;  great  changes  in  the  mode  of  cultivating  the  soil.  I 
remember  when  the  farmers  in  this  neighborhood  used  the  old 
wooden  plow.  I  was  very  anxious  to  learn  to  guide  the  plow 
when  a  very  small  boy  I  would  go  into  the  fields  wThere  the  men 
were  plowing,  and  would  ask  them  to  let  me  try. 

I  would  have  to  take  hold  of  the  under  part  of  the  plow 
handles,  but  could  not  guide  it  very  well.  But  the  farmers  do 
not  break  the  soil  with  that  kind  of  a  plow  today. 

Great  changes  in  the  mode  of  travel  since  those  days.  I  re- 
member when  Andrew  Harris  and  Joseph  Dawson  with  their  families 
left  my  father's  house  in  this  neighborhood  in  covered  wagons  to 
go  West.  But  people  do  not  travel  that  way  now.  God  raised  up 
a  Fulton  and  endowed  him  with  a  mind  to  conceive  the  idea  to 
convert  steam  power  with  machinery  to  drive  the  boat  upon  the 
waters  and  hence  it  has  also  been  arranged  to  drive  the  car  upon 
the  rail  at  the  rate  of  60  to  100  miles  an  hour,  so  now  the  people 
travel  by  steam  power.  Also  there  have  been  great  changes  in  the 
mode  of  conveying  news.  God  raised  up  a  Morse  and  endowed 
him  with  a  mind  to  conceive  the  idea  of  sending  messages 
with  lighning  speed,  so  that  man  can  now  stand  on  the  shore  of 
the  Atlantic  and  talk  to  his  friends  on  the  shore  of  the  Pacific. 
So  great  is  the  speed  with  which  a  message  goes  that  were  it 
possible  to  stretch  a  wire  around  our  globe  and  attach  this  power 
it  would  flash  around  our  globe  380  times  in  a  single  minute.  And 
now  they  use  electricity  to  run  the  cars  in  our  cities,  and  so  great 
is  its  power  that  a  short  time  ago  in  the  city  of  Baltimore  they 
attached  it  to  a  heavy  loaded  train  of  cars  and  drew  it  through 
the  great  tunnel  in  that  city. 

And  now  in  looking  around  over  these  historic  grounds  I  see 
a  great  change  has  taken  place  in  your  midst  since  we  met  here 
and  held  our  first  re-union  ten  years  ago.  I  observe  that  the  old 
Bethel  has  disappeared  and  I  find  ourselves  assembled  in  this 
beautiful  temple  that  you  have  built  since  that  time.  Allow 
me  to  congratulate  you  on  your  fine  taste  and  success  in  building 
such  a  beautiful  church.  In  looking  behind  me  on  the  window 
in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit  I  see  my  grandfather's  name.  I  re-  ■  " 
garded  it  as  an  honor  to  have  his  name  inscribed  there  and  1  also 
regard  it  as  an  honor  being  his  grandson.  I  was  permitted  on 
the  6th  of  January,  1895,  to  preach  the  first  sermon  that  was 
preached  in  the  new  Bethel. 

A  few  weeks  ago  I  was  forcibly  struck  as  I  read  in  the  Sun- 
day School  Journal,  "The  Power  of  Song,"  it  was  on  this  wise: 

"At  the  session  of  the  Newark  Conference  which  met  at  St. 
Paul's  Church,  Toltonville,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  in  the  spring 


^hi  cLi^i  VMi         irr&rd*  Wm  ciirur  Umj  hLiuU 


54 


of  1867.  Bishop  Simpson  presided.  On  the  morning  of  the 
Conference  Sunday  he  preached  with  extraordinary  eloquence 
from  Matt.  28,  18-20.  Dr.  J.  W.  Wiley,  at  that  time  editor  of 
the  Ladies'  Repository,  and  afterwards  more  widely  known  as 
Bishop  Wiley,  was  greatly  moved  by  the  eloquence  of  the  preacher. 
Though  the  Doctor  was  noted  for  great  self-control,  he  was  com- 
pletely carried  away  on  that  occasion  as  the  speaker  rose  fiom  one 
climax  to  another,  the  audience  wondering  meanwhile  where 
those  lofty  flights  of  the  preacher  would  lead  them.  At  the  close 
of  one  of  these  remarkable  outbursts,  when  speaker  and  hearers 
were  compelled  to  pause  for  a  moment  to  take  breath,  Dr.  Wiley 
brought  his  hand  upon  the  knee  of  a  friend  who  sat  by  his  side 
and  calling  him  familiarly  by  name;  said,  'I  can  never  preach 
again!  I  can  never  preach  again!'  This  was  especially  noticeable 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  had  been  assigned  to  preach  in  the 
afternoon ;  but  the  marvelous  eloquence  of  the  Bishop  had  so 
wrought  upon  the  feelings  of  this  usually  impassive  man  that  he 
was  completely  broken  up,  and  doubtless  felt,  as  he  expressed  it, 
that  he  was  utterly  unfitted  to  follow  such  a  sublime  discourse. 

"At  the  close  of  the  Bishop's  sermon,  Phillip  Phillips  took 
his  seat  at  the  organ,  and  after  a  softly  played  prelude,  he  sang 
as  only  he  could  sing,  one  of  his  favorite  songs,  'Brother  you  can 
sing  for  Jesus. '  As  verse  after  verse  proceeded,  each  one  telling 
what  might  be  done  for  the  Master,  and  as  he  sang,  '  Brother,  you 
can  work  for  Jesus,'  and  still  again,  'Brother  you  can  die  for 
Jesus,'  Dr.  Wiley's  frame,  trembled  with  emotion,  his  face  was 
illumined  with  joy,  and  again  he  brought  his  hand  upon  the  knee 
of  his  friend  and  exclaimed,  'I  can  preach  now  ;  I  can  preach  now  !' 
and  he  did  preach.  The  sermon  will  ever  dwell  in  the  memory 
of  those  who  heard  it  that  afternoon  in  the  old  Bethel  Church. 
Very  few  could  hope  to  follow  Bishop  Simpson  as  Dr.  Wiley  did 
on  that  memorable  occasion." 

I  close  my  remarks  with  a  little  song.  The  lesson  to  be  drawn 
from  this  song  is  Christ's  great  love  for  a  wandering  sheep  of  his: 

"HE  I<EFT  THE  NINETY  AND  NINE." 

"  The  sheep  were  sleeping  within  the  fold, 

The  shepherd  counted  the  line, 
The  night  was  dark,  and  the  wind  was  cold, 

He  counted  ninety  and  nine, 
But  one  was  lost  on  the  mountain  track, 

The  Shepherd  started  to  bring  him  back 
And  left  the  ninety  and  nine. 


55 


CHORUS  :  "He  left  the  ninety  and  nine, 
He  left  the  ninety  and  nine, 
How  great  was  the  cost,  for  the  one 
that  was  lost, 

He  left  the  ninety  and  nine. 

"Securely  sheltered  within  the  fold, 
Remained  the  ninety  and  nine, 

Knjoying  the  shepherd's  wealth  untold, 
Those  happy  ninety  and  nine. 

They  little  knew  of  the  shepherd's  pain, 
Who,  suffering  thus  one  sheep  to  gain, 

Had  left  the  ninety  and  nine.  Chorus. 

"But  at  last  went  up  a  joyful  cry, 
I've  found  this  lost  one  of  mine, 

He'll  live  with  me  in  a  home  on  high, 
Safe  with  the  ninety  and  nine. 

Then  heaven  and  earth  took  up  the  cry, 

To  save  one  sheep  that  was  doomed  to  die 

Christ  left  the  ninety  and  nine."  Chorus. 


Address  of 

Hon.  J.  S.  Willis,  M.  C. 


The  wild  duck  flies  not  alone  before  the  march  of  winter  to 
ample  and  congenial  feeding-grounds  in  southern  lagoons.  Her 
children  and  friends  are  with  her.  The  nesting  and  rearing  were 
the  work  of  individual  life :  the  migration  is  in  companies  and 
tribes.  And  while  there  is  a  living,  quivering  wing  to  cleve 
the  sky,  or  an  instinct  to  guide  the  flight  of  birds  through  the 
pathless  heavens,  this  law  will  remain  a  controlling  force  among 
the  families  of  animated  nature. 

In  man  there  are  laws  paradoxical  and  contradictory,  touching 
the  mutual  relationships  of  life — one  law  of  the  animal  leads  the 
strong  to  dominate  and  devour  the  weak — the  other  law  of  the 
spiritual,  and  intellectual,  attracts,  unites  and  nurtures — under 
the  reign  of  the  one  the  race  would  become  extinct ;  under  the 
reign  of  the  other  it  would  multiply  and  fill  the  earth.  The  one 
would  enthrone  jealousy,  hate,  and  cruelty.  The  other  would 
inaugurate  the  prevalence  of  love  and  peace. 

Moreover  the  principle  of  union  would  be  closer  and  intense 
in  the  ratio  of  the  intimacy  of  blood  relationship.  Out  of  this 
grows  the  family,  then  the  community,  then  the  nation. 

A  perfectly  unhindered  spiritual  law  would  subordinate  and 
concede  individual  interests  to  the  common  good.  This  is  the 
law  of  Christ,  and  this  I  take  it,  is  the  law  which  has  drawn  you 
people  together,  and  superinduced  these  festivals  of  re-union. 
It  is  a  blessed  ovation  to  some  of  the  higher  qualities  of  human 
nature. 

Your  family  pride  is  a  contribution  to  civilized  society.  I 
speak  not  of  pride  in  the  sense  of  vanity  or  vain  glory,  but  in  the 
sense  of  moral  conservation,  self-respect,  rectitude  and  righteous- 
ness. A  living  commendation  and  endorsement  of  various  forces, 
which  have  prevailed  through  generations,  and  have  preserved 
these  honorable  households. 

Yours  is  a  record  not  so  famous  as  the  genealogies  of  princes 
and  lords,  but  far  more  beautiful,  as  it  has  been  marked  by 
justice  to  man  and  reverence  to  God.     Your  escutcheon  is  not 


57 


stained  with  oppression  and  violence;  your  fortunes  are  not  the 
result  of  misused  power;  your  memories  are  not  those  of  wreck 
and  desolation;  your  thrones  have  been  built  in  affection,  and 
they  rest  in  the  hearts  of  loving  friends ;  you  will  be  complaisant, 
if  not  delighted,  when  you  review  the  past  and  contemplate  your 
domestic  structure  standing  in  the  adornments  of  innocence  and 
symmetery,  as  the  fruit  of  love,  justice,  dilgience,  and  frugality. 

I  intended  to  emphasize  the  idea  that  this  pride  of  family  is  a 
prime  conservator  of  organized  and  civilized  society.  It  lies  at 
the  bed  rocks  of  human  fraternity.  It  is  the  seed  corn  of  the 
nations.  For  where  there  are  no  families  there  are  no  nations. 
It  subsisted  and  wrought  in  the  very  dawn  of  the  race.  It  was 
potent  in  Abraham.  It  was  characteristically  strong  in  Jacob, 
whose  dexterity  in  dealing,  was  only  equalled  by  his  dexterity 
in  social  building.  It  filled  an  important  place  in  all  Jewish 
history,  and  preserved  that  strange  people  from  the  encroachments 
of  pagan  deteroration.  And  it  has  been  a  fixed  factor  in  British 
potency  and  enlargement.  And  although  in  the  light  of  this 
century  English  privilege  and  paternalism  amount  almost  to  an 
abomination ;  yet  it  cannot  be  denied  that  these  privileged 
familes  have  done  much  to  strengthen  and  exalt  the  English 
dominions  and  the  English  name. 

The  time  is  approaching  when  hereditary  titles  will  have  lost 
their  charm,  and  class  privilege  will  have  become  extinct;  but 
the  time  will  never  come  when  honest  industry  and  intelligence 
will  not  adorn  the  fireside,  and  give  value  to  family  descent. 

The  common  people  are  destined  to  rebuild  the  waste  places  of 
social  life;  but  they  will  build  better  than  those  who  preceded 
them.  The  foundations  will  be  relaid  with  truth  and  moral 
worth,  and  the  superstructure  will  be  the  measure  of  well  in- 
formed and  upright  manhood.  Sacred  history  and  prophecy  made 
much  of  the  genealogies  of  the  Messiah.  But  the  Messiah  him- 
self taught  the  lesson  of  a  higher  nobility  when  he  gave  the 
touchstone  of  the  "Golden  Rule,"  and  inculcated  the  imitation 
of  Him  after  whom  "the  whole  family  of  earth  and  Heaven  are 
named. ' ' 

If  you  will  strip  earthly  titles  of  their  glamour  and  trap- 
pings, you  will  find  nothing  left  but  a  few  gouty  and  imbecile 
pretenders;  the  degenerate  offspring  of  an  early  band  of  robbers, 
cut  throats,  and  petty  tyrants  and  the  family  pride  of  the  Kin- 
ders,  Davises  and  Nobles  is  thoroughly  out  of  tune  with  those  old 
monsters  of  the  past,  and  with  their  bloated  and  helpless  progeny. 
It  reaches  higher  for  its  honors,  works  harder  for  its  fortune, 
builds  more  nobly  its  manhood,  makes  more  permanent  its  glory. 


58 


These  people  believe  that 

"The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gold  for  a'  that." 

It  is  needless,  my  friends,  that  I  should  here  restate  your 
family  genealogies — and  tell  of  the  worthy  men  and  faithful 
women  who  have  honored  your  households.  This  has  been  well 
done  on  former  occasions.  The  record  is  before  you,  and  in  your 
archives  you  have  stowed  it  away  as  a  precious  souvenir  to  be 
reviewed  in  your  leisure  hours,  and  dwelt  upon  with  profitable 
reflection. 

"Lives  of  'good'  men  all  remind  us 
We  may  make  our  lives  sublime." 

The  record  of  the  saints  is  the  dearest  legacy  of  the  Church. 
The  annals  of  our  heroes  are  the  most  useful  and  instructive 
inheritance  of  statesmen.  And  the  simple  story  of  our  honorable 
forefathers  may  serve  to  stimulate  us  in  the  attainment  of  a 
character  which  will  be  a  benediction  to  our  offspring  after  we 
have  entered  the  long  and  mysterious  sleep  of  the  grave. 

There  are  some  counsels  which  I  might  give  you  as  the  result 
of  my  experience  in  life,  which,  if  followed,  would  augment  the 
sum  of  your  happiness  for  the  time  to  come. 

First. — Cultivate  a  spirit  of  justice. — Selfishness  is  the  mildew 
of  life;  but  generous  justice  will  drop  the  honey  of  gladness  in- 
to the  cup  of  every  experience.  The  highest  attainments,  the 
largest  possessions,  the  widest  fame,  will  not  atone  for  the  lack 
of  this  heaven-born  virtue.  Without  it  the  wings  of  devotion 
would  fall  paralized  before  the  holiest  shrines.  Without  it  the 
pillow  of  death  would  be  hard  and  thorny,  and  life  otherwise 
comely,  would  be  bitter  at  its  close,  and  dangerously  uncertain 
in  its  transition.  Without  it  the  whole  scheme  of  life  is  a  fail- 
ure and  the  battle  ends  in  defeat.  Injustice  corrodes  the  heart, 
taints  the  intent,  falsifies  the  action,  deteriorates  the  moral  scope, 
shames  manhood,  dishonors  God,  drivels  the  soul  and  secures 
perdition. 

Second. — Foster  that  kindled  qualiy,  viz.  :  A  tolerant  spirit 
toward  the  opinions  and  convictions  of  others. — He  who  assumes 
such  superiority  as  to  demand  the  surrender  of  all  others'  judg- 
ments to  his  own,  is  more  stupid  than  Ajax  when  he  defied  the 
lightning,  or  than  Xerxes  when  he  bridged  the  Hellespont.  The 
world's  shocking  tortures  of  saintly  men  for  conscience  sake;  the 
ghastly  agencies  of  stake  and  fire ;  the  grim  dungeons  stained 
with  the  blood  of  the  fathers,  the  holocaust  of  agonies  arising 


59 


from  amidst  the  altars  dedicated  to  peace  and  God,  are  all  the 
fruits  of  intolerance  in  those  who  professed  to  be  the  followers  of 
the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus.  The  Millennium  itself  will  not  be 
able  to  wipe  out  the  gory  defilements  of  the  Church,  perpetrated 
by  hellish  hypocrites  against  the  right  of  free  opinion  and  free 
speech ;  and  when  the  judgment  scrolls  are  opened,  exaltation 
will  come  to  the  victim,  and  damnation  to  the  opppressor. 

Tn  the  great  day  of  God,  opinions  will  count  for  nothing,  but 
conscience  for  everything.  A  thousand  accidents  may  occur  to 
frame  and  shape  the  one,  but  the  other  must  reign  the  immortal 
queen  in  the  citadel  of  the  soul.  Creeds  and  professions  will  fly 
as  chaff  before  the  winds  of  truth ;  or  be  treated  as  the  vagaries, 
and  insubstantial  visions  of  finite  minds,  while  love  and  inno- 
cence will  reign  supreme. 

"He  who  knows  our  sorest  needs 
Cares  not  how  men  may  count  their  beads 
For  righteousness  is  not  in  creeds 

Nor  solemn  faces  ; 
But  rather  lies  in  kindly  deeds 

And  christian  graces." 

Third. — Practice  hospitality. — It  is  advised  by  St.  Paul, 
endorsed  and  practiced  by  Christ,  and  is  verified  by  the  experience 
of  ages.  It  thaws  the  prejudices,  warms  the  affections,  enlarges 
the  scope  of  moral  vision,  dethrones  selfishness  and  is  in  keeping 
with  that  charity  and  fraternity  of  which  the  gospel  is  the  divine 
guarantee  and  faith  the  prophetic  outlook. 

Fourth. — Cherish  the  sentiment  of  hope. —It  will  solve  the 
riddle  of  life.  It  will  bring  the  sunshine  of  gladness  through 
the  clouds  of  an  irksome  day.  It  will  give  strength  to  the  soul, 
nerve  to  the  arm,  speed  to  the  feet  and  bring  this  immortal 
being  safely  amid  the  storms  that  rage  on  the  river  of  death. 

"Eternal  Hope,  when  yonder  spheres  sublime 
Pealed  their  first  notes  to  sound  the  march  of  time 
Thy  joyous  youth  began,  but  not  to  fade, 
When  all  the  sister  planets  have  decayed. 
When  wrapt  in  fire  the  realms  of  other  glow 
And  heavens  last  thunder  shakes  the  world  below 
Thou  undismayed  shall  o'er  the  ruins  smile, 
And  light  thy  torch  at  nature's  funeral  pile." 

Your  re-union,  dear  friends,  will  doubtless  lend  a  charm  to 
memory  in  the  declining  years  of  life.  Your  intermarriages  will 
be  as  they  have  been  like  enchanted  bridges,  by  which  you  have 
crossed  thrice  enchanted  streams,  and  lingering  in  the  Arcadia  of 
sanctified  love  you  have  peopled  and  shall  people  these  ancient 


60 


soltiudes  with  a  thrifty  generation  of  which  as  in  the  past,  so  in 
the  future,  no  man  may  be  ashamed. 

"Ill  fares  the  land  to  hastening  ill  a  prey 
Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay. 
Princes  and  lords  may  flourish  and  may  fade, 
A  breath  can  make  them  as  a  breath  hath  made, 
But  a  bold  yeomanry,  a  country  pride 
When  once  destroyed  can  never  be  supplied." 


A  RE-UNION, 

To-day  a  re-union  three  families  hold 
Knit  close  by  the  strongest  of  ties  ; 
The  Nobles,  the  Kinders  and  Davises  too 
And  how  could  it  be  otherwise. 

For  a  century  past  they  have  intertwined 
Upon  a  most  intricate  plan.  -z^^£, 
Till  a  lawyer  skilled  in  the-lo¥A  of  the  Hub 
Could  not  tell  where  the  branches  began. 

But  a  school-boy  dumb,  with  pencil  and  slate, 
By  figures  could  readily  see 
That  the  Davises,  Nobles  and  Kinders 
Belong,  to  one  family  tree. 
Tho'  many  they're  one  by  their  faith  in  God  ; 
The  faith  that  their  fathers  bore  ; 
And  Bethel  upholds  the  work  of  the  sires 
When  they  rest  on  the  golden  shore. 

How  wonderfully  altered  is  this  place 
Since  closed  was  the  last  decade  ; 
Changed  is  the  plan  of  the  homestead  church 
And  Time  sad  ravages  made. 

Come  home  from  the  coast  the  Atlantic  sweeps 
And  the  one  the  Pacific  laves  ; 

From  the  North  and  South — your  brethren  to  greet 
And  visit  your  ancestors'  graves.  /-'/»< 
Greet  with  your  best  Priscie,  Mary,  Lkcmda,  d  >  d  J[  /    a  i 
Their  stay  with  us  here  will  be  brief, 
And  Nattie,  Daniel,  Johnathan  and  Edward, 
Who  compare  with  the  sear  autumn  leaf. 

We've  summoned  you  now,  lest  you  fall  asleep  ~~ 
Like  for  Verdie,  the  call  sounds  in  vain 
And  'tis  lost  on  our  Truston,  William  and  John 
Who  will  sing  for  us  never  again 

"The  home  of  the  soul"  how  sweet  Edward  sang 
When  they  laid  our  Alfred  to  rest, 
Now  with  Daniel,  Eliza,  Joseph,  Corinne, 
He  sings  in  the  home  of  the  blest. 
There  are  buds  Orrie,  Gertie,  Alvin  and  Fred 
That  we  hope  to  meet  on  that  strand. 
With  Lewis,  loved  Sin  a  we'll  know  by  her  smile, 
And  Luie,  the  clasp  of  her  hand. 

O  blessed  hope,  how  it  cheers  us  all  ! 
That  with  friends  beyond  the  river, 
We  will  hold  reunions  in  the  skies 
Nor  will  break  them  up  forever. 

And  though,  perchance,  the  Angel  come 
With  scarce  a  friendly  warning, 
We  hope  to  bid  good-bye  on  earth — 
If  not — in  Heaven,  good-morning. 

— Adelaide  Waters  Kinder. 


u 


q~  j.mon 


RE-UNION  OF  THE 


Davis,  Noble  and  Kinder  Families 

Held  at  Bethel  M.  E.  Church 
October  26th,  1905. 
j*  •*  & 

§T  having  become  a  custom  with  the  Noble,  Davis 
and  Kinder  Families  to  hold  a  Re-union  every 
RHHtl  ten  years,  and  in  accordance  with  that  custom, 
representative  members  of  the  respective  families 
met  at  Bethel  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  on  Seaford 
Circuit,  Sept.  6th,  1905.  Mr.  Joseph  T.  Davis  was  elected 
Chairman,  and  Isaac  S.  Warren  Secretary  of  the  meeting. 

It  was  decided  to  hold  the  Re-union  Oct.  26th,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  following  Committee  on  program  was 
appointed:  I.  S.  Warren,  S.  M.  Noble,  J.  T.  Davis,  W. 
W.  Kinder,  R.  F.  Noble,  G.  E.  Noble  and  Mrs.  C.  K.  Cor- 
bin.  The  Committee  was  authorized  to  make  all  the  nec- 
essary arrangements.  The  Committee  invited  Rev.  W.  S. 
Robinson,  D.  D.,  of  Summerfield  M.  E.  Church,  Newark, 
N.  J. ,  a  former  pastor  at  Bethel,  and  Mr.  Herbert  Noble, 
youngest  son  of  the  late  Dr.  W.  D.  Noble 
oTlhe  lawTmn*l5F~No^^  Hubbard  of  New 

York  City,  to  make  addresses  at  the  Reunion. 

The  Committee  decided  to  have  the  proceedings  of  the 
two  preceding  Re-unions,  with  the  proceedings  of  the  pres- 
ent one  published  in  one  pamphlet. 


65 


The  Committee  also  appointed  the  following  Commit- 
tees : 

On  publishing  proceedings — I.  S.  Warren,  G.  E.  Noble, 
Charles  Davis,  W^JJ^JOnder,  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble. 

On  securing  subscriptions  to  the  published  proceedings 
—Charles  S.  Lewis,  Mrs.  C.  K.  Corbin,  S.  M.  Noble,  J.T. 
Davis,  Charles  Davis. 

On  Registration — Hon.  T.  N.  Rawlins,  Linden  Noble, 
W.  J.  Warren. 

Ushers— Fred  H.  Noble,  C.  L.  Warren. 

The  Committee  also  recommended  that  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble 
be  elected  to  preside  at  the  Re  union,  and  that  I.  S.  Warren 
be  elected  Secretary  and  S.  M.  Noble,  Treasurer. 

The  Committee  also  adopted  the  following  program  : 

PROGRAMME 

9,30    Organization,  by  election  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble,  of 
Preston,  President  ;  I.  S.  Warren,  of  Oak  Grove, 
Secretary  ;  S.  M.  Noble,  of  Federalsburg,  Treas- 
urer. 
Organ  Voluntary. 
Singing.    1082  Hymnal. 
Invocation.    S.  M.  Noble. 
Singing.    Auld  Lang  Syne. 
10.00  Address  of  Welcome.     Rev.  J.  L.  Johnson,  Pastor 

of  Church. 
10.15  Reply.    Rev.  P.  H.  Rawlins. 
10.25  Address. 
10.35  Singing. 

10.45  History  of  Kinder  Family.    S.  W.  Kinder,  Esq. 
11.05  History  of  Davis  Family.    Charles  Davis,  Esq. 
11.25  History  of  Noble  Family.    I.  S.  Warren. 
11.35  Singing.    235  Hymnal. 

Announcements. 

Call  to  Refreshments. 


66 


2.00    Singing.    Duett.    Mrs.  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble  and  Mrs. 
Clara  Payne. 

2.15    Introduction  of  Visitors.    (2  minute  addresses). 
2.30    Address.    Rev.  W.  S.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  of  Newark, 

N.  J. 
3.00  Singing. 

3.15    Address.    Herbert  Noble,  Esq.,  of  New  York. 
3.45    Closing  Exercises,  conducted  by  Rev.  S.  M.  Morg- 
an, D.  D. 

Singing.    ' 'Blest  Be  the  Tie  that  Binds.' ' 

Owing  to  the  unfavorable  and  threatening  state  of  the 
weather  on  Oct.  26th,  the  program  was  not  carried  out  as 
completely  as  it  could  have  been  wished,  i.  e.,  we  could 
not  begin  on  schedule  time  and  several  of  the  speakers  who 
had  been  invited  to  officiate  at  the  opening  exercises  were 
not  present.  Rev.  J.  L-  Johnson,  Pastor,  who  was  to  have 
made  an  address  of  welcome,  has  however  kindly  furnished 
manuscript  which  will  be  found  in  proceedings  ;  Rev.  P. 
H.  Rawlins,  who  was  expected  to  reply,  has  kindly  fur- 
nished the  accompanying  letter.  Rev.  W.  S.  Robinson, 
D.  D.,  who  made  a  very  eloquent  and  suitable  address, 
spoke  extemporaneously,  therefore  the  reader  will  be  un- 
avoidably deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  reading  his  address. 
The  address  of  Mr.  Herbert  Noble,  which  will  be  found  in 
these  pages,  speaks  for  itself.  Taken  as  a  whole  our  Re- 
union was  a  success  and  very  enjoyable,  and  the  Commit- 
tee regrets  that  the  threatening  weather  prevented  so  many 
from  being  present. 


Address  of  Welcome 


By  Rev.  J.  L,.  Johnson. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Members  of  the  Noble,  Davis  and  Kinder 
Families;  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : 

I  have  been  selected  by  your  committee  to  speak  the  word  of 
welcome  on  his  occasion  though  that  is  hardly  the  proper  term  to 
use,  for  many  of  you  brought  your  welcome  with  you  when  you 
came  into  the  world. 

I,  with  a  great  many  others  realize,  one  of  the  greatest  mis- 
takes of  my  life  is;  that  I  was  not  born  either  a  Noble,  a  Davis, 
or  a  Kinder,  but  when  I  was  born  I  did  not  know  there  existed 
such  a  historic  family  trio,  had  I,  it  might  have  been  otherwise, 
no  one  however  told  me,  so  I  am  not  to  blame.  I  have  partially 
overcome  my  mistake  by  a  certain  species  of  adoption  ;  and  today 
I  find  myself  thrice  blessed,  for  I  claim  now  to  be  related  to  all 
three  of  the  families. 

This  is  not  the  first  time  you  have  received  the  greetings  of 
Bethel  Church  and  been  the  recipients  of  the  hospitality  ;  you 
know  the  warmth  of  the  one  and  the  unbounded  generosity  of  the 
other,  and  I  voice  the  sentiment  of  each  member  of  this  Church 
when  I  say  that  each  of  them  appreciates  the  presence  of  such  a 
grand  assemblage  of  representative  men  and  women ;  and  they 
rejoice  in  the  privilege  thus  accorded  you  in  visiting  this  historic 
spot  under  such  happy  auspices.  Our  hearts  welcome  you  and 
our  hands  are  extended   in  fraternal  greetings. 

We  wanted  you,  and  we  sent  for  you,  and  you  have  come  and 
already  our  anticipations  have  been  realized;  we  hope  you  will 
sit  among  us  not  as  strangers  but  as  welcome  guests,  as  neighbors, 
as  friends  and  brothers  and  sisters,  after  the  lapse  of  years, 
coming  home  to  sit  around  the  family  fire-side  and  eat  at  the 
family  board. 

Yours  has  been  a  noble  past.  It  is  not  my  purpose  or  promise 
to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  the  history  of  the  families  or  pro 
nounce  eulogies  on  their  work.  The  streams  of  your  unostenta- 
tious honesty,  industry  and  sobriety  have  leaped  the  boundaries  of 
States  and  flowed  out  into  many  sections  of  our  fair  land,  East, 
West,  North  and  South,  bearing  upon  its  bosom  the  same  virtues 


68 


and  refining  qualities  that  characterize  it  at  its  fountain  head, 
nor  has  it  been  retarded  by  the  artificial  distinctions  of  society. 
In  whatever  State  or  community  a  member  of  these  families  has 
been  found  they  have  taught  their  lessons  of  honesty  and  upright- 
ness, and  by  their  fruits  they  are  known  of  men.  "The  wilder- 
ness and  the  solitary  place  have  been  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose" 
under  the  magnetic  touch  of  your  hand ;  you  have  taken  the 
unsightly  and  polished  it  into  a  thing  of  beauty;  you  have  sawed 
and  planed  and  hammered  the  forests  into  dwelling  places;  you 
have  given  character  and  distictiveness  to  this  section  of  country, 
until  it  stands  second  to  none  in  the  whole  State.  For  what  you 
have  been,  for  what  you  are  and  for  what  you  are  destined  to  be, 
I  greet  you. 

You  meet  today  among  a  generous  people  and  amidst  historic 
surroundings. 

Here  in  the  ancient  days  people  of  your  own  blood  and  kin 
laid  the  foundations  of  a  mighty  work,  the  history  of  this  church 
is  interwoven  with  the  history  of  these  families. 

Ivike  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  your  ancestors  must  worship  God, 
and  being  staunch  adherants  of  the  Weslyan  Doctrine  their 
homes  were  open  and  their  hearts  welcomed  the  early  Missionaries 
sent  out  by  the  Weslyan  Societies.  In  the  home  of  one,  William 
Davis,  a  Local  Preacher,  and  for  62  years  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  situated  less  than  a  mile  from  where  I 
now  stand,  Bishops  Asbury,  Whatcoat  and  Waugh  preached  the 
Word  of  Life.  In  1781  on  this  very  ground  the  first  Chapel  was 
built,  then  called  Brown's  Chapel,  afterwards  called  Bethel,  this 
being  the  2nd  M.  E.  Church  built  on  this  Peninsula.  The  same 
year  Mr.  White  Brown,  a  leading  spirit  in  the  community,  who 
owned  the  farm  adjoining  the  Church  Lot  (now  belonging  to  the 
heirs  of  the  late  John  H.  Twiford)  built  the  brick  dwelling  which 
is  still  standing  (and  over  the  door  are  cut  in  the  brick  the 
initials  W.  B. ,  1781).  Mr.  Brown  was  so  much  engaged  in  the 
work  of  building  his  own  house  and  the  church,  he  proposed 
that  Jacob  Kinder  should  take  his,  Brown's  hands,  and  his  own, 
and  cultivate  both  farms  so  that  he,  Brown,  might  give  all  his 
time  and  attention  to  the  building  of  his  own  house  and  of  the 
church,  which  was  done.  Thus  we  see  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  as 
found  in  these  two  men;  willing  to  sacrifice  their  own  interests 
that  God's  Temple  might  be  erected.  This  spirit  did  not  die 
with  them;  it  svas  of  the  hereditary  type;  it  descended  to  the  sons 
and  daughters  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  It  is  pre- 
eminently fitting  that  you  should  assemble  upon  this  historic  spot 
and  upon  this  consecrated  ground   in  this  family  re-union,  no 


69 


place  like  it,  historic  to  you  because  of  the  sacred  memories  that 
cluster  about  it ;  to  the  Church  because  of  the  ministrations  of 
such  men  as  Asbury,  Whatcoat,  Waugh  and  George,  the  very 
founders  of  our  beloved  Methodism  ;  consecrated  because  here  your 
fathers  labored,  toiled,  sacrificed  and  conquered;  from  here  they 
ascended  and  were  glorified;  their  ashes  remain  with  you  and 
their  memory  still  abides,  while  their  spirits  basking  in  the 
golden  light  of  the  Eternal  World  hover  round  us.  And  in  their 
name  I  greet  you. 

The  committee  who  had  charge  of  this  affair, in  my  judgment, 
exercised  a  very  wise  discretion,  they  have  recognized  the  fact  thai 
man  does  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  that  there  are  other  senses 
to  be  gratified  than  mere  taste,  and  it  has  been,  evidently, their 
desire  that  all  five  senses  should  have  their  proper  share  of  enjoy- 
ment. You  have  already  felt  the  warm  clasp  of  a  brother's 
hand.  What  is  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  than  this  array  of 
youth,  grace  and  beauty  that  I  see  before  me?  And  our  ears 
have  been  and  will  again  be  charmed  by  the  concord  of  sweet 
sounds,  but  you  say  where  does  the  fifth  sense  come  in  ?  We 
have  no  sweet  incense,  but  listen,  "Behold  how  good  and  how 
pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity;  it  is  like 
the  precious  ointment  on  the  head,"  Who  will  say  that  this 
precious  ointment  does  not  pervade  this  whole  assembly  ?  It 
would  be  unpardonable  in  me  now  to  make  furthei  remarks;  I 
will  only  renew  our  thanks  to  you  all  for  your  presence  with  us, 
and  when  you  depart,  if  you  are  able  to  carry  away  with  you  the 
slightest  conception  of  the  pleasure  your  company  has  given  us, 
then  we  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  any  feeble  effort  we  may  have 
put  forth  towards  your  enjoyment. 


Rev.  P.  H.  Rawlins'  Letter 


Isaac  S.  Warren,  Esq.  , 

Dear  Brother :— You  have  requested  a  paper  from  me  to  be 
printed  with  the  proceedings  of  the  Noble,  Davis,  Kinder  re-union 
held  on  October  last  at  Bethel  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  will  write  you  this  letter. 

I  regretted  much  that  I  was  not  able  to  reach  the  church  on  the 
morning  of  the  meeting  to  be  at  the  opening  of  the  services  and 
take  the  part  which  had  been  assigned  me  in  the  proceedings. 
These  re-unions  have  been  profitable  undoubtedly  to  all  who  have 
been  present  to  enjoy  them.  The  meeting  of  friends  not  often 
permitted  to  see  each  other,  the  forming  of  an  acquaintance  of  the 
younger  generation  with  the  older,  and  with  each  other,  and  also 
the  recognition  of  the  fact  that  they  are  kindred,  are  things  of 
importance,  and  should  be  encouraged. 

Just  as  the  ancient  Jews  were  careful  to  preserve  their 
family  ties  intact,  so  that  their  descendants  from  generation  to 
generation  might  trace  their  lineage,  so  it  is  well  for  the  families 
of  today  to  do  the  same.  And  to  my  mind  there  is  much  in  these 
re-unions  tending  to  preserve  and  keep  in  mind  the  honorable 
families  to  which  they  belong. 

Ten  years  bring  many  changes.  In  that  time  many,  especially 
of  the  older  ones,  pass  away  to  the  great  re-union.  Many  others 
have  come  into  life.  Young  men  and  maidens  have  grown  to 
maturity  and  gone  forth  from  their  parental  roofs  to  build  homes 
for  themselves.  The  families  represented  at  these  re-unions  are, 
in  many  respects,  remarkable  families.  Noted  as  the)'  have  always 
been,  for  their  industry,  their  integrity,  their  economy,  and  their 
uprightness  of  character. 

The  ancestors  of  these  families  built  on  a  solid  foundation, 
and  so  built  that  the  influence  of  their  lives,  and  the  result  of 
their  labors,  live  on,  and  are  seen  in  the  lives  and  work  of  their 
descendants  today.  Many  of  us  who  were  permitted  to  be  present 
at  this  last  re-union  cannot  expect  to  be  present  at  the  next,  if  an- 
other ten  years  is  allowed  to  pass  before  it  is  held.  I  trust,  how- 
ever, that  the  younger  generations  will  continue  these  happy 
gatherings  to  the  end  of  time,  and  then  when  time  is  no  more 
and  the  generations  and  families  of  all  ages,  shall  gather,  these  fam- 
ilies, the  Noble,  Davis,  and  Kinder  families  shall  be  with  the 
white  robed  ones,  a  great  multitude,  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne,  a  happy  company,  there  to  greet  each  other  with  holy 
song,  forever  with  the  Lord.  P.  H.  RAWLINS. 


The  Kinder  Family 


By  S.  W.  Kinder,  Esq. 

Owing  to  the  limited  time  accorded  us,  we  have   chosen  one 
member  of  this  large  family,  and  as  briefly  as  we  may, shall  hold  up 
'4  this  life  as  a  model, as  a  shining  light  and  as  a  living  example  to 
\~all  who  survive  him,  and  to   the  generations  yet  unborn.  We 
V  ~  believe  that   all  mind  and  matter  is  governed  by  law.     And  we 
believe   in  the  law  of  heredity — that  it  is  no  small  or  insignifi- 
c    cant  factor  in  a  man's  life  to  be  well  born. 
rVi  ✓^Daniel   Byas  Kinder  was  born   Oct.    3,  A.  D. ,  1816.  His 
^ N^father,  Isaac  Kinder,  was  physically,  mentally,  and  morally,  made 
up  of  sturdy  genuine  fibre.  His  mother,  Rhoda  WarrenKinder,  was 
a  woman  unsurpassed   by  motherly  tenderness  and  love,  while  her 
face  was  as  cheerful  and  bright  as  the  white  light  of  a  new  born 
day,  and  her  voice  was  as  gentle  and  wooing  as  that  of  a  dove. 
At  different  periods  of  his  life, the  writer  has  attempted  to  de- 
j-N— ^  lineate  and  portray  this  exquisitely    beautiful  christian  life,  but 
^  the  task  has  always  baffled  all  efforts  of  both  tongue  and  pen. 

With  such  auspicious   environments,  Daniel  Kinder  grew  up 
^   in  this  vicinity,  and  for  many  long,  eventfuT"years"was  a  central 
figure,  and  indeed  a  large  and  conspicuous  part  of  the  warp  and 
C^-    woof  of  the  life  and  actions  and  transactions  of  the  generation 
J^S    in  which  he  lived,  and  which  he  served  with  such  constant  fidel- 
V   \    itjr  and  trust. 

Danjj^JKinder  was  a  GpJJ^  man.  He  made  the  Bible  his 
daily  study,  and  practiced  its  precepts  in  every  walk  of  life.  No 
emergency  could  arise  but  he  had  on  the  end  of  his  tongue  a 
Scripture  text  which  would  meet  the  conditions,  and  often  solve 
the  knotty  problems  of  life.  It  would  be  more  than  an  idle  waste 
of  words  to  say  that  he  was  scrupulously  honest,  and  fair  and 
square  in  all  his  dealings  with  men.  Like  Daniel  in  sacred 
history,  "he  purposed  in  his  heart"  that  he  would  do  right,  and 
leave  results  with  God. 

A  Sussex  Co.  lawyer,  who  knew  him   intimately  in  business 
|    relations,  was  constrained  to  say  :    "That  Daniel  Kinder  was  the 
Vt    most  careful,  the  most  scrupulous,  and  the  most  conscientious 
Vy  man  in  business  transactions  it  had  ever  been  his  good  fortune  to 
know. ' ' 


1 


72 


He  took  a  profound  interest  in  the  welfare  of  others,  and 
never  thought  his  task  done  until  he  extended  a  helping  hand  and 
brought  light  and  good  cheer  to  hearts  and  lives  in  need.  His 
daughter  writes  beautifully  and  says:  "He  was  a  kind  and 
affectionate  father  and  ordered  the  affairs  of  his  household  by  the 
law  of  tenderness  and  parental  love."  He  was  a  man  of  great 
veneration  and  esteem.  He  almost  worshipped  good  and  great 
men,  and  treasured  in  his  mind  and  heart  many  of  their  wise 
sayings,  and  never  forgot  to  weave  them  into  his  conversations 
with  his  friends. 

He  was  a  genuinely  hospitable  man.  Hundreds  of  relatives 
and  friends  have  found  shelter  under  his  benign  roof,  and  have 
enjoyed  the  good  things  spread  upon  his  bountiful  table,  and  held 
communion,  sweet  converse  and  Christian  fellowship  with  this 
devout  man  of  God.  His  was  a  home  for  the  itinerant  preacher 
through  a  long,  long  series  of  years,  and  no  wayfaring  man  was 
ever  turned  empty  away  from  his  door.  He  was  a  class  leader  for 
many  years,  and  as  you  see  his  name  stands  enrolled  in  the  list 
of  Trustees  in  the  Official  Memorialwindow  of  thisctmrch^^, 

WlTsTiaTT'melil^^  that  his  life 

was  completely  under  the  control  of  the  spirit  of  the  Master 
when  He  talked  so  tenderly  and  so  lovingly  to  His  disciples  on 
the  Mount. 

Some  years  before  his  death,  he  came  to  the  writer's  home  and 
brought  corn  to  exchange  for  seed — a  common  custom  among 
farmers — and  said  he  wanted  five  bushels.  The  corn  was  quickly 
measured.  While  taking  the  corn  which  he  brought  from  his 
wagon,  we  discovered  that  there  weie  six  bushels,  and  supposing 
that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  we  began  to  measure  another  bushel, 
but  he  shook  his  head — in  his  significant  way — and  said  "No." 
And  we  shall  never  forget  the  expression  of  conscious  satisfac- 
tion and  of  honesty  of  purpose  which  danced  like  sunbeams  from 
every  feature  of  his  face  as  he  extended  his  hand,  and  in  his 
familiar  charcteristic  way  said:  "  Good-bye  Sara  ;  I  hope  I  have 
done  you  no  harm.  " 

Daniel  Kinder  in  every  walk  of  life  gave  Gospel  measure, 
shaken  down,  pressed  together  and  running  over.  We  never 
counted  the  extra  bushel  in  dollars  and  cents;  we  put  an  infini- 
tely higher  value  upon  it,  and  always  regarded  it  as  a  gift  of  his 
love,  and  as  an  expression  of  his  very  best  wishes. 

On  one  occasion  when  sick,  his  physician  ordered  that  he 
should  procure  some  ardent  spirits,  and  use  as  he  had  prescribed. 
A  messenger  was  despatched  and  upon  reaching  the  store,  the 
druggist  informed  him  that  he  had  the  article,  but  his  license 


73 


•  for  selling  it  had  expired  just  a  few  days  ago.  But  with  a  kindly 
heart  the  package  was  neatly  wrapped,  and  placing  it  into  the 
hand  of  the  waiting  man,  said:  "Tell  Mr.  Kinder  I  have  no 
right  to  sell  it,  but  I  gladly  send  it  as  a  gift,  with  my  sincere 

*  compliments." 

As  soon  as  he  had  recovered,  and  was  able  to  ride,  he  went  to 
his  poultry  yard  and  selected  the  finest  bird  in  his  flock,  took  it 
to  the  druggist  and  said  :  "Mr.  C.  here  is  a  fowl  I  have  brought 
you"  and  turned  and  walked  away.  The  merchant  was  puzzled  to 
know  what  such  a  transaction  meant,  but  upon  further  reflection 
recalled  the  facts  above  stated;  Daniel  Kinder  could  not  have 
lived  happily  or  died  in  peace,  if  he  had  not  in  some  way  have 
compensated  this  man  for  his  kindness. 

Upon  the  surface  these  incidents  may  seem  homely  and  un- 
important, but  if  we  will  take  the  pains  to  analyze  them  and  get 
down  to  the  basic  truths  which  they  represent,  we  shall  find  that 
they  contain  the  very  quintessence  of  the  spirit  of  the  "Golden 
Rule."  Daniel  Kinder  always  tried  to  "do  unto  others  as  he 
would  have  others  do  unto  him."  This  spirit  characterized  this 
good  man  in  all  his  dealings  with  men,  and  was  indeed  the  warp 
and  woof  of  his  devoted  Christian  life. 

Today,  while  we  sit  together  in  these  sacred  surroundings, 
and  recall  these  pleasing  reminiscences,  and  recount  his  splendid 
virtues,  all  that  was  mortal  of  Daniel  Byas  Kinder  sleeps  peace- 
fully in  the  cemetery  hard  by  the  Sanctuary  in  which  he  wor- 
shipped for  so  many  long  and  happy  years.  While  all  that  is 
immortal  and  heavenly  and  divine,  stands  out  like  a  beacon 
light  along  the  shore  of  life's  dark,  rough,  tempestuous  sea,  and 
with  one  hand  pointing  to  the  divine  throne,  while  with  the 
other  he  beckons  us  on,  and  with  a  voice  of  triumphant  victory, 
says:  "Follow  me,  as  I  followed  the  Man  of  Galilee." 

"Servant  of  God,  well  done  ; 
Thy  glorious  warfare's  past ; 
The  battle's  fought,  the  race  is  won, 
And  thou  art  crowned  at  last." 

Dear  friends  :  After  ten  years  of  light  and  shadows,  we  have 
met  on  this  glad  day  to  grasp  each  others'  hands  and  exchange 
our  sincere  hearty  greetings.  But  some  seats  are  vacant,  and  as 
the  record  shows,  many  of  our  number  have  fallen  in  life's  sore 
battle. 

The  old  book  upon  which  we  ventured  our  all  for  this  life  and 
the  life  to  come,  is  pregnant  with  admonitions  concerning  the 
brevity  of  human  life.     The  inspired  writers  use  many  symbols 


74 


to  tell  the  sad  story.  One  calls  it  "a  hand  breadth" — another 
speaks  of  it  as  "a  vapor;"  still  another  compares  it  to  "grass 
which  cometh  up  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening  is  cut 
down."  And  away  back  in  the  dark  ages  men  kept  this  serious 
thought  before  their  mind. 

God's  old  servant,  Job,  startles  us  with  his  unique  expression— 
"My  days  are  swifter  than  the  weavers'  shuttle." 

We  lay  along  side  these  sad  enunciations — which  are  the 
result  of  sin— the  "exceeding  great  and  precious  promises"  which 
pervade  almost  every  page  of  the  same  old  Book,  and  bring  hope 
and  consolation  and  rest  to  our  timid  trembling  hearts.  There  is 
nothing  in  all  literature  half  so  sweet  as  the  words  of  Jesus: 
''Come  unto  Me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest."  Listen  to  old  Paul;  "For  I  reckon— that  is,  I 
compute — that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy 
to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us." 

The  old  prophet,  under  a  mighty  spell  of  inspiration,  did 
his  best  to  soothe  our  troubled  hearts,  and  quiet  our  anxious  fears, 
saying:  "When  thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will  be  with 
thee ;  when  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be 
burned:  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee."  Listen 
again;  Jesus  says:  "but  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered."  whether  we  stand  or  fall  in  the  coming  decade, 
let  us  hold  fast  to  the  old  Book;  let's  seek  shelter  and  find  safety 
on  the  old  Ship;  she  surely  will  land  us  over,  and  "God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  our  eyes." 


r 


The  Davis  Family 


By  Charles  M.  Davis. 


You  already  have  the  history  of  the  Davis  family  up  to  1895,  >  r 
but  the  information  extends  no  farther  back  than  150  years,  and  we 
feel  impelled  to  mention  the  fact  that  in  1617  a  James  Davis  "N^ 
came  from  England  in  the  ship  George  to  Virginia,  from  thence 
he  went  to  the  Western  Shore  of  Maryland,  and  his  descendants 
settled  on  the  Eastern  Shore  where  7000  acres  of  land  weie  laid 
off  for  them. 

This  same  history  states  also  that  the  name  originated  from 
David,  and  for  some  reasons  we  may  infer  that  King  David  of 
Bible  fame  was  our  ancestor — first  he  was  a  great  singer  and 
musician,  and  this  Davis  family  have  been  noted  for  their  musical 
talent.  Then  David  was  a  man  of  war,  and  the  Davis  family 
have  ever  been  found  conspicuous  in  military  affairs,  ready  to 
respond  when  duty  calls.  ^ 

This  is  the  third  meeting  at  this  time-honored  place,  and 
every  member  of  the  Davis  family  present,  we  believe,  cherishes 
an  ardent  affection  for  this  temple  and  kindred  hearts  beneath 
its  roof. 

There  have  been  some  changes  since  we  met  here  ten  years  ago 
— death  has  visited  our  ranks  and  removed  some  of  our  loved 
ones  from  earth  to  heaven,  and  the  thought  comes  today,  they 
may  be  listening,  with  door  ajar,  to  our  words  of  love  and 
renewed  frienships. 

Only  one  of  Lemuel  Davis'^  grandchilren  is  now  living, 
Elizabeth  Sorden,  daug^Ter^oK^aleb  anal  Nancy" Davis,  who  is  a 
resident  of  the  "Old  Ladies'  Home"  in  Easton,  Md.,  and  would 
have  been  with  us  today  were  it  not  for  her  affliction  ;  she  is 
totally  blind  and  very  feeble,  and  only  waiting  till  the  shadows 
are  a  little  longer  grown,  to  respond  to  the  call  to  "come  up 
higher."  Two  grandsons  who  were  with  us  ten  years  ago,  and 
whose  presence  now  would  be  a  benediction,  are  numbered  among  ^ 
the  dead. 

Nathaniel,  son  of  Tilghman  Davis,  who  was  born  September 
20,  1811,  and  died  July  29,  1900,  and  Rev.  Edward  Davis,  son  of 
Caleb;  he  represented  the  Davis  family  in   both  the  preceding 


76 


re-unions,  and  rendered  the  church  many  years  of  faithful  service. 
Having  finished  his  work,  he  is  now  reaping  the  reward  of  his 
labors. 

Others  who  have  passed  away  from  our  midst  since  1895  are 
Tina  wife  of  Fernandes  Davis,  Ivi Hie  Kenney,  grandaughter  of 
Curtis  Davis,  Rhoda  widow  of  William  Noble,  Emily  wife  of 
Nathaniel  Davis,  Amanda  wife  of  Wm,  Edward  Cannon,  L.  Shanley 
Davis  son  of  Curtis,  Mary  W,  Moore  daughter  of  Isaac  Davis,  Lee 
H.  Davis  son  of  James,  Ruth  May  infant  daughter  of  Fernandes 
Davis,  Augusta  Booth  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Mary  Davis,  War- 
den Cooper  grandson  of  John  Davis,  Florence  Miles  daughter  of 
Lottie  Adams,  and  Eliazbeth  P.  Morgan  and  Sallie  C.  Davis 
daughters  of  Charles  L.  Davis. 

We  will  try  to  give  a  partial  list  of  the  surviving  members 
of  this  wonderful  family. 

Lemuel  Davis'  children  have  been  named  in  a  former  hstory. 
The  children  of  Re^^Wini^na^Dayisvvere  William,  Greentree, 
Mary  Ann,  Truston,  Priscilla,  Mahala  and  Jesse^  Of  William 
is  Franklin  Davis  of  Phladelpha.  Of  Greenfields  Ann  Amelia 
living  near  Georgetown,  Del.  Truston  Davis'  children  were 
Edward  and  Winfield,  neither  of  them  living,  but  Edward  who 
married  Emma  Wrightson,  left  three  daughters,  Nellie,  Nannie 
and  Winnie  who  reside  in  Cambridge,  Md. 

Of  Mahala  who  married  Charles  Noble  we  have  two  living 
representatives,  Jonathan  Noble  and  Mary  the  widow  of  Alfred 
Davis. 

y  Of  Jesse  Dfcvis  are  Emilv^  ^inderjDf  this  vicinity  and  Harriet 
Brown  of  Baltimore,  Md. 


The  children  of  Solomon  Davis  were  Lemuel,  Mary  Ann  and 
Solomon. 


Of  Lemuel  is  Dr.  W.  F.  Davis  of  Dover,  Del.  Mary  Ann 
married  W.  A.  Whealey  and  left  four  sons  all  living  in  Dorches- 
ter County. 

The  children  of  Tilghman  Davis  were  Isaac,  James,  Nathaniel, 
Henry,  Alfred,  Samuel,  Kittie,  Castelia  and  Charlotte. 

Of  Isaac,  are  Celia  wife  of  Edward  Adams  of  Reliance,  who 
has  six  children  all  living ;  Joseph  T.  Davis  who  married  Annie 
Williams,  has  three  children,  Raymond,  married  living  in  Phila- 
delphia, Addie  and  Myra  living  with  their  parents  at  the  old 
homestead;  Lottie  Adams  of  Seaford,  Del.,  one  daughter  living 
and  one  grand-daughter,  Florence  Etta  Miles  living  at  Upper 
Fairmount,  Md.  ;  and  Martha  Sharpp  of  Seaford  has  one  son. 

Of  James  Davis  son  of  Tilghman  are  Willie  Prouse  of  Phila- 
delphia, who  has  two  sons  living,  Walter  and  Harry,  and  two 


77 


small  grandchildren;  Georgia  Pattern  of  New  Jersey  has  three 
children  ;  W.  J.  Davis  of  Federalsburg  one  daughter,  Laura,  and 
Lydia  Elliott  has  two  daughters,  Bessie  wife  of  Earle  Noble  and 
Anna  the  bride  of  Harry  Kinder  of  Pittsburgh. 

Of  Nathaniel  Davis  are  Tilghman  of  Easton,  Md.,  Willard 
living  near  Trinity  church,  Benjamin  and  three  daughters,  Leona, 
Kate  and  Edith  Davis  Mulligan  who  has  two  children. 

Of  Henry  Davis  son  of  Tilghman  are  Jacob  Tilghman,  Harriet 
McMahon  who  has  two  daughters  Mrs.  Watson  and  Mrs.  Coffin, 
and  Ida  Collins  of  New  Jersey. 

Of  Alfred  Davis  are  Emily  wife  of  Henry  Cannon  of  Seaford, 
Charles  T.  a  resident  of  this  vicinity.  Sallie  C.  wife  of  W  E. 
Carpenter  of  Woodland,  James,  and  Laura  widow  of  Oliver  Obier 
of  Seaford,  Del. 

Of  Castelia  who  married  John  Kinder  are  Isaac  and  Samuel 
the  only  children  living  today. 

Of  Charlotte  who  married  John  L.  Willis  are  Tilghman  and 
Sallie  Samuel  Brown  both  of  Seaford,  Del. 

The  children  of  Ennals  Davis  were  Charles,  Peggy,  Betsy  and 
Eliza. 

Of  Charles  Davis  were  Elizabeth  V.  Morgan,  John  Marcus, 
Sallie  and  Emily;  the  first  three  deceased  and  Emily  living 
near  the  church. 

Of  Peggy  who  married  Melvin  Andrew,  Auu  Eliza,  Lizzie 
Hubbard,  William  D.  and  Kate  Sisk  of  his  vicinity. 

Of  Eliza  who  married  Truston  Cannon,  Jacob,  Mary  E. . 
Antoniette,  Arcady,  Elizabeth,  Eliza  Jane,  Lillie  Newton.  Sallie 
Tilghman,  Augusta,  Charles  Davis  and  James  Wilson. 

The  children  of  Caleb  Davis  were  Curtis,  Albert,  John, 
Washington,  Edward,  Lizzie,  Mary,  Ann,  Emetine,  Carrie  and 
Jerry. 

Of  Curtis  Davis,  Rebecca,  his  widow,  who  resides  in  Feder- 
alsburg, L.  Shanley  Davis  his  eldest  son,  whose  precious  memory 
lingers  with  us  still,  died  in  1900,  leaving  one  son  who  bears  his 
father's  full  name  and  lives  in  New  York  City;  Charles  M.  Davis 
residing  in  Federalsburg  has  two  daughters,  Eva  the  wife  of  Prof. 
H.  H.  Murphy  living  now  in  Denton,  and  Lydia  at  home  with 
her  parents,  also  one  grandson.  Rowena,  wife  of  Rev.  James  T. 
Kenney  has  two  unmarried  daughters  all  living  in  Philadelphia; 
Oliver  Davis  has  two  sous,  Curtis  and  Norman  both  married  and 
all  living  in  New  York,  Jerome  Davis  of  Goldsboro,  Md. ,  is 
married  but  has  no  children ;  Oscar  Davis  of  Hoboken,  New 
Jersey,  has  three  children  ;  Elena  Davis  unmarried  resides  with 
her  mother;  Fernandes,  living  in  Federalsburg,  has  two  children. 


78 


Wilmer  and  Winter  aie  both  married,  living  in  New  York,  but 
have  no  children  ;  Carrie  Lewes  wife  of  H.  M.  Carroll  has  one 
son,  and  resides  in  Federalsburg. 

Of  Albert  Davis  are  Edward  F.  Davis  who  has  two  daughters, 
Roberta  wife  of  Dr.  R.  Kemp  Jefferson  and  Ethel  Davis,  also  two 
grandsons;  James  H.  Davis  has  five  children,  two  sons,  Harry 
W.  Davis,  cashier  of  Federalsburg  bank  and  Albert  Davis,  and 
three  daughters,  Blanche  wife  of  Roland  Webster  who  lives  in 
Cambridge  and  have  one  child,  Iva  and  Nancy  Davis  who  live  at 
home  with  their  parents  in  Federalsburg. 

Of  John  Davis,  one  daughter,  Jennie  Cooper,  who  is  a  widow 
with  two  sons  and  lives  at  White  Haven,  Wicomico  Co.,  Md. 

Of  Rev.  Edward  Davis,  Mattie  his  widow  who  resides  in 
Newark,  Md. ,  Leland  and  Belle  Bailey  of  Wilmington;  John  of 
Bridgeville  and  Ella  Bowen,  who  has  one  son,  Edward  Farrell, 
of  Newark,  Md. 

Of  Ann  who  mame^^ajre^^JCmder  were  Caleb,  Rhoda, 
Emily,  Sina,  Amanda,  Cassie,  Martha,  Carrie  and  Addie. 

Caleb,  deceased,  left  one  daughter. 

Rhoda  Noble  left  one  daughter,  Sal  lie,  who  married  James 
Andrew  and  lives  in  Hurlock,  Md. 

Amanda  Cannon  left  two  sons  living  in  Florida,  and  two 
daughters,  Mary  Fooks  of  Georgetown,  Del.,  and  Ella  Emery  of 
Seaford. 

Carrie  Wilson  left  two  children,  Maggie  of  Seaford,  Del., 
and  Robert  of  California. 

Sina  Rawlins  resides  in  Seaford,  Cassie  Corbin  in  this 
vicinity,  Martha  Lewis  who  has  one  son,  Warren  lives  in  Laurel, 
Del.,  and  Addie  Wright  of  Seaford  has  one  daughter,  Lillie 
Handy. 

Of  Carrie  who  married  Twiford  Noble,  Alex  Noble  of  Preston, 
Md. ,  and  Addie,  deceased,  who  married  Robert  Jarrell  of  Golds- 
boro,  Md. 

In  closing  this  historical  sketch  we  are  reminded  that  there 
may  be  some  mistakes  and  names  omitted  that  should  be  recorded, 
but  we  have  gone  according  to  our  information,  and  wish  to  be 
pardoned  for  any  errors. 

One  characteristic  of  the  Davis  family  is  a  fondness  for 
something  good  to  eat,  and  the  wives  of  these  kind  husbands  seem 
to  know  the  art  of  cooking.  To  agree  with  this  assertion  you 
have  only  to  visit  one  of  them  and  partake  of  their  toothsome 
viands.  The  latch  string  of  their  hospitable  homes  ever  hangs 
outside, 


79 


We  part  today,  but  hope  to  meet  again  : 

"Where  the  crystal  stream  doth  flow, 
And  the  trees  of  life  doth  bloom, 

Where  no  chilling  frost  can  fall, 
On  flowers  that  sweetly  bloom. 

Where  the  glory  of  the  Lord 

Shines  thro'  all  the  cloudless  skies, 

There,  as  endless  ages  roll, 

Shall  be  no  more  good-byes." 


The  Noble  Family 


By  I.  S.  Warren. 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen.  For  the  third  time  we 
have  met  in  re-union  pf  the  families  of  Noble,  Davis  and  Kinder, 

Again  the  frosts  of  Autumn  leave  their  mark  on  the  forests 
about  us;  giving  color  and  beauty  to  the  landscape,  and  in  look- 
in  over  this  large  gathering  I  see  the  autumn  of  life  is  giving 
light  and  color  to  the  heads  of  many  in  this  audience,  while  the 
frosts  of  many  winters  give  notice  to  many  of  us  that  the  time 
of  re-unions  on  Earth  will  soon  be  over.  May  we  meet  in  that 
grand  re-union  in  Heaven  where  we  shall  meet  again  those  with 
whom  we  have  met  on  occasions  like  unto  this. 

Although  I  was  not  the  one  first  selected  by  the  committee  to 
represent  the  Noble  Family  not  being  so  well  qualified  as  some 
others  and  not  a  Noble  by  name,  Dr.  J.  L.  Noble  our  president  of 
today  being  the  one  chosen,  but  the  Dr.  finding  his  professional 
duties  of  such  a  character  as  to  preclude  his  giving  the  subject 
matter  the  attention  he  would  like,  he  turned  it  over  to  me,  for 
which  you  have  my  sincere  regrets.  When  a  man  is  so  unforunate 
as  not  to  be  borne  a  Noble,  the  very  next  best  thing  is  to  marry  a 
Noble  which  thing  I  did  and  that  Noble  has  reigned  in  my  home 
not  only  as  a  Noble  but  as  a  Queen,  and  still  reigns,  happy 
mother  of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  here  with  us  today, 
one  of  them  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  F.  Haines  of  Seaford,  with  her 
little  son,  Harlan  Fisher  Haines,  two  are  not,  for  God  has  taken 
them  since  our  last  re-union. 

The  Grim  Reaper  has  gathered  an  abundant  harvest  of  Nobles 
during  the  time  since  we  last  met  on  such  an  occasion  as  this,  he 
has  seemed  to  love  a  shining  mark.  Comparatively  few  of  the 
older  members  of  the  family  have  fallen,  Jonathan  T.  Noble  the 
Nestor  of  the  Noble  name,  with  his  sister  Mrs.  Mary  Noble  Davis 
still  lingering  with  the  children,  are  with  us  today. 

The  Nobles  are  not  a  long  lived  family,  but  Mrs.  Davis  has 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  84  years  and  her  brother  Jonathan  82. 

Two  years  almost  today,  after  our  last  re-union,  Oct.  30,  1897, 
Sadie  E.  Warren,  eldest  daughter  of  I.  S.  Warren  and  Mary  E. 
Noble,  a  quiet  unassuming  but  most  loveable  girl  passed  away , 
and  now  awaits  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 


81 


May  Noble,  eldest  daughter  of  S.  M.  Noble  and  Mary  E. 
Kinder,  died  April  10th,  1900.  You  will  pardon  tne  if  I  make  a 
digression  from  the  rule  I  had  laid  out  for  myself  in  regard  to 
these  notices,  I  have  about  20  death  notices  and  40  marriages, 
and  the  time  allowed  me  will  not  suffice  but  to  give  the  barest 
notice  of  each  one,  but  this  especial  case  calls  for  more  than  a 
passing  notice. 

It  might  be  well  said  of  May  Noble  none  knew  her  but  to 
love  her,  none  spoke  of  her  but  to  praise  her.  A  lovely  bud, 
too  fair  for  Earth,  she  blooms  in  Heaven.  She  and  her  father 
were  to  have  sung  a  selection  at  the  Epworth  League  service  on 
the  Sunday  before  she  died,  they  are  to  sing  it  on  the  Eternal 
Shore,  let  us  all  be  there  to  hear  it. 

DEATHS 

Harvey  Fountain,  Nov.  9,  1896. 
Sadie  E.  Warren.  Oct.  30,  1897. 
Walton  Williams,  Sept.  27,  1898. 
Verdie  Noble.  Oct.,  1898. 
Eunice  Noble.  June  17,  1S99. 
Mav  Noble.  Apr.  10,  1900. 
Ella  Hubbard.  Mav  16,  1900. 
Frank  Harris,  Feb.  20,  1901. 
Sallie  Davis.  March  20.  1901. 
Rhoda  A.  Noble,  Apr.  28.  1901. 
Isaac  Noble.  Nov.  14,  1901. 
Albert  B.  Chambers.  Julv  3,  1902. 
Elberta  Wheatley,  August  3,  1902. 
J.  Noble  Warren.  November  19,  1902. 
William  T.  Piquette,  February  7,  1903. 
James  A.  Noble.  Januarv  25,  1903. 
Annie  Noble  High,  August  4,  1904. 
Helen  Warren,  August,  1904. 
Dr.  Hattie  N.  Purte,  Mav  11,  1905. 
Helen  Noble.  Julv  3,  1905. 
Charles  Noble,  August  20,  1905. 

MARRIAGES 

Herbert  Noble  to  Elsie  Pattison,  December  5,  1895. 
Harvev  N.  Fountain  to  Nora  A.  Noble,  October  3.  1896. 
Charles  S.  Bradlev  to  Elizabeth  C.  Grannis,  Januarv  13,  1897. 
Mary  Belle  Noble"  to  William  T.  Piquette,  October "]  6,  1*97. 
Marv  Bradlev  to  George  T.  Chambers,  October  28,  1*97. 
Blanche  Noble  to  John  W.  Stowell,  Dec  22,  1898. 
Bertie  Noble  to  Dr.  W  T.  Kelley,  June  7,  1899. 
J.  Noble  Warren  to  Katherine  Herbert,  August  9,  1899. 
Willie  V.  Alberger  to  George  H.  Jefferson,  December  23,  1899. 
Edgar  Fountain  to  Annie  M.  Fountain,  March  21,  1900. 
Walter  Fountain  to  Emma  Cohee,  May  20,  1900. 
Mary  Moore  to  Manning  Merriken,  June  14,  1900. 


;s2 


Rink  Noble  to  Miss  Laudy,  July  25,  1900. 

Myra  Purte  to  Arthur  Prey,  July  29,  1900. 

Charles  Fulton  Noble  to  Cora  Willis,  October  26,  1900. 

J.  Twiford  Williams  to  Mattie  Morris,  December  12,  1900. 

Roberta  Bradley  to  W.  L.  Wheatley,  December  25,  1900. 

George  B  Noble  to  Grace  Handy,  June,  1900. 

Madge  B.  Warren  to  Dr.  W.  F.  Haines,  March  5,  1901. 

Radie  Belle  Hubbard  to  William  A.  Jones,  May  28,  1901. 

Levi  D.  L.  Noble  to  Jennie  Lake,  December  18,  1901. 

Minnie  Noble  to  F.  W.  Booker,  January  29,  1902. 

William  Davis  to   ,  1902. 

Myrtle  Harris  to  B.  H.  Fell,  August  6,  1902. 

L,.  Barle  Warren  to  Lelia  C.  Jones,  June  18,  1902. 

Clara  Noble  to  John  Payne,  June  2,  1902. 

Mary  Andrews  to  J.  H.  Loux,  May  28,  1903. 

Carrie  Andrews  to  F.  N.  Casson,  November  26,  1903. 

Hattie  Fountain  to  Fred  Peters,  January  20,  1903. 

Luanna  Bradley  to  L.  G.  Christopher,  January  12,  1904. 

Barle  Noble  to  Bessie  Blliott,  February  23,  1904. 

Annie  Noble  High  to  Mr.  Henning,  January  1,  1904. 

Herman  Noble  to  Nell  Hurr,  June  22,  1904. 

Herbert  Nichols  to  Miss  Poole.  1904. 

Mary  Harris  to  Frank  Robertson,  December  21,  1904. 

Frank  Fountain  to  Stella  Noble,  December  20,  1904. 

Mary  Jarrell  to  Dr.  H.  W.  B.  Rowe,  March  16,  1904. 

Fannie  Jarrell  to  Dr.  Raymond  Downes,  December  14,  1904. 

William  Noble  Andrews  to  Bessie  Walworth,  October  18,  1904. 

Grace  Williams  to  Raymond  P.  Vickers,  October  20,  1904. 

Grace  Noble  to  B.  Lee  Chipley,  January  11,  1905. 

Mary  B.  Noble  to  Dr.  James  A.  Riedy,  June  1,  1905. 

A  retrospect  reveals  the  spring  from  which  issues  this  stream 
of  stalwart  men  and  women,  men  and  women  who  stood  for  up- 
right, clean  living,  who  stood  for  civic  righteousness,  who  made 
the  wilderness  bud  and  blossom  like  the  rose  such  as  we  see  about 
us  today. 

The  prospect  is  that  the  future  promises  even  greater  achieve- 
ments, worthy  sons  of  worthy  sires,  brave  and  true  men,  fair, 
chaste  women,  whose  high  destiny  shall  be  fulfilled  only  when 
they  land  in  Bternity. 

"May  there  be  no  sad  farewells 
When  we  at  last  embark." 


Address  of 

Herbert  Noble,  Esq* 


It  is  no  small  pleasure  to  be  again  at  this  historic  spot, 
especially  on  such  an  occasion  as  this;  and  I  am  not  insensible  to 
the  honor  of  being  asked  to  address  you,  nor  of  the  buiden  of  so 
doing.  However,  I  feel  that  I  am  among  my  own  people;  and 
that  fact  forces  into  prominence  in  my  mind  what  I  conceive  to 
have  been  and  to  be  their  distinguishing  characteristics. 

The  Nobles  settled  in  this  region  more  than  two  hundred  years 
ago.  They  came  from  the  counties  of  Northumberland  and  Cum- 
berland, Enland,  where  they  had  lived  for  centuries.  The  first 
mention  of  the  name  in  English  history  was  William  le  Noble, 
who  came  to  England  with  William  the  Conqueror,  and  was 
granted  an  estate  in  the  County  of  Northumberland  for  faithful 
service  and  loyalty  to  his  sovereign. 

I  have  visited  this  home  where  his  descendants  reside,  and  the 
family  characteristics  were  most  notable.  The  head  of  the 
present  family  is  William  Noble,  who  might  for  all  the  world 
have  been  taken  for  the  brother  of  William  Noble  or  Jonathan 
Noble,  or,  my  father,  William  Davis  Noble.  It  was  from  these 
Nobles  that  our  ancestors  came  to  Maryland. 

But  I  do  not  desire  to  attempt  an  historical  sketch  of  the  Noble 
family.  What  they  and  the  others  who  have  settled  in  this 
region  have  accomplished  and  have  stood  for,  is  what  I  desire  to 
call  your  attention  to.  When  they  came  here,  there  was  before 
them  the  primeval  forests,  the  home  of  the  Nanticoke  Indians. 
There  were  black  bear,  deer  and  other  wild  game  in  abundance; 
but  there  were  no  roads,  no  farms,  no  buildings,  no  homes. 
Their's  it  was  to  blaze  the  way  for  civilization;  and  it  required 
stout  hearts  to  face  such  a  situation  for  the  purpose  of  making 
homes.  They  did  not  come  here  seeking  gold.  They  came  to 
make  their  homes  under  the  beneficent  Governments  of  Lord  Bal- 
timore and  William  Penn  :  In  Maryland  where  no  man's 
pivilege  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  con- 
science could  be  violated,  since  the  very  charter  secured  that  as  a 
right,  and  to  the  colony  of  William  Penn  who  wanted  his  people 
to  live  in  peace  and  harmony  with  all  men. 


84 


And  what  did  these  early  settlers  accomplish  ?  They  won 
the  forests  for  homes,  for  broad  plantations,  and  they  kept  alive 
in  their  hearts  the  love  of  God.  They  had  no  wars  with  the 
Indians,  for  they  dealt  fairly  with  them;  and  they  dealt  justly 
with  each  other.  They  were  valant  men  of  peace  and  fair 
dealing.  They  gave  in  those  days,  as  they  give  today,  a  quid  pro 
quo  for  all  that  they  received. 

These  were  not  commonplace  qualities.  They  were  the 
qualities  of  strong  and  virtuous  men  ;  for  in  the  forests,  distant 
from  the  outpost  of  civilization,  where  legal  rights  are  very 
difficult  of  enforcement,  and  where  the  views  of  men  become 
loose,  because  they  are  so  free  from  restraint,  it  indicates  high 
personal  character  to  deal  justly.  It  means  an  imagination  which 
pictures  a  future  in  which  a  conscience  void  of  a  sense  of  wrong 
doing  is  indispensable  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  home  which  was  to 
result  from  their  unending  toil  and  labor.  They  sought  a  future 
which  might  be  enjoyed  in  content  and  happiness. 

As  contrasted  with  the  Puritans  who  went  to  New  England, 
the  men  who  came  to  this  region  were  of  a  nobler  mould.  Those 
who  went  to  New  England  were  satisfied  with  nothing.  Their 
life  was  as  hard  as  their  beliefs  were  hard  ;  their  sufferings  as 
extreme  as  their  sympathies  were  narrow.  They  conceived  of  a 
God  who  was  continually  visiting  evil  and  harm  upon  the  people, 
who  had  elected  some  to  be  saved  and  all  the  rest  of  humanity  to 
be  damned  "in  soul  and  body  without  intermission  in  hell  fire 
forever."  And  such  was  their  attitude  toward  each  other,  that 
if  one  did  not  believe  these  doctrines  and  treat  one's  neighbor 
accordingly,  one  had  the  choice  of  having  one's  tongue  bored, 
ears  clipped  or  leaving  as  Roger  Williams  did  in  1636,  when  he 
founded  Rhode  Island,  or  as  Benjamin  Franklin  was  obliged  to  do 
more  than  one  hundred  years  later.  "The  highest  to  the  lowest 
were  firm  believers  in  portents,  prodigies,  witchcraft  and  all  the 
black  arts.  Every  unusual  event  was  attributed  to  God  or  the 
devil,  and  the  latter  especially  seemed  to  have  amused  himself  at 
the  expense  of  helpless  humanity.  "  The  burning  of  witches  at 
Salem,  and  the  alleged  communications  from  witches  and  the 
spirits  of  the  dead,  affirmed  to  have  taken  place  by  Cotton  and 
Increase  Mather  are  familiar  history  (1700-1750.) 

"The  Christianity  believed  in,  and  preached,  and  practiced 
by  the  rank  and  file  of  the  people  was  lurid  and  of  merciless 
cruelty  and  vengance  " 

From  this  period  when  they  attributed  the  most  horrid 
qualities  to  a  merciful  God,  they  swung,  within  a  few  yeais,  to 
another  equally  extreme  and  equally  abhorrent  point  of  view,  by 


85 


denying  the  Divinity  of  our  Saviour  and  becoming  Unitarians. 
And  this  change  too  was  attended  by  similar  conduct  toward 
those  who  failed  to  agree. 

Speaking  of  the  period  of  1807,  Barrett  Wendell  has  said: 

"In  Boston  Unitarianism  had  swept  away  the  pristine  religious 
traditions.  Among  the  older  churches  only  the  Old  South  had 
stuck  by  its  original  Calvinistic  colours,  and  its  members  gener- 
ally remained  orthodox  at  the  expense  of  their  visiting  lists." 

In  a  word,  those  people  who  dared  to  believe  what  had  been 
so  stoutly  taught  even  in  Franklin's  day,  forty  years  before,  were 
made  to  feel  that  they  were  social  outcasts,  and  that  they  had 
no  proper  places  in  the  community. 

With  this  picture  of  religious  intolerance,  and,  I  might  say, 
degredation,  of  intellectual  unrest,  and  utter  social  discontent, 
compare  the  situation  here.  Faith,  charity,  mercy — these  were 
the  qualities  attributed  by  the  people  here  to  God.  Episcopalians, 
Roman  Caholics,  Calvinists  and  Jews  all  had  an  asylum  here, 
where  every  man  sough  to  build  a  home  in  a  community  where 
fair  dealing  was  the  standard  of  conduct  and  the  measure  of 
respect,  and  where  religious  views  deprived  no  man  of  his  right 
or  his  neighbor's  respect,  so  long  as  he  dealt  justly  and  lived 
honorably.  Right  living  was  what  one's  neighbor  required  of  one; 
end  if  a  man's  religious  views  were  in  his  neighbor's  opinion 
unsound,  he  was  cordially  invited,  in  the  early  days,  to  the 
Church  of  England ;  later,  in  some  parts,  to  Meeting,  and  yet 
again  to  the  Methodist  Church.  In  the  earlier  days  of  the  Colo- 
nies of  Marj'land,  and,  indeed  under  William  Penn,  the  majority 
of  the  Churches  were  those  of  the  Church  of  England.  But  the 
very  reason  that  she  lost  her  ground  here,  and  the  Quakers  and 
the  Methodists  supplanted  her,  was  that  the  clergy  sent  out  to 
the  Colonies  in  those  days  did  not  measure  up  to  the  standard 
which  had  been  set  in  this  community  by  the  people  who  lived 
here.  They  were  not  men  of  high  spiritual  force.  They  held 
their  Churches  largely  as  a  means  of  support,  with  little  or  no 
care  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people.  They  were  less 
concerned  with  the  eternal  verities  and  honorable  living  than 
with  the  mere  means  of  support.  So  that  when  the  Quakers  came 
preaching  that  God  was  not  a  grim  autocrat,  and  that  man  was 
not  essentially  lost ;  that  there  was  room  for  love,  mercy  and 
charity,  and  that  what  was  truly  to  be  understood  was  "the  truth 
of  the  universal  love  of  God  to  all  men.  That  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  He  sent  His  Son,  that  Christ  died  for  all  men,  and 
that  His  atonement  availed  for  all  who  in  every  land  accepted  the 
light  with  which  He  enlightened  their  minds  and  consciences, 


86 


and  who  listening  to  His  still  small  voice  in  the  soul  turned  in 
any  true  sense  toward  God  away  from  evil"  and  to  right  living 
and  fair  dealing,  they  appealed  to  the  spiritual  lives  of  the  people 
here,  and  many,  and  among  them  many  Nobles,  became  Quakers. 
But  the  coherence  and  aggressiveness  of  the  Quakers  were  not 
sufficient  to  satisfy  the  spiritual  life  of  the  people  here;  and 
when  the  spiritual  awakening  came  in  England  and  John  Weslej' 
so  eloquently  and  fervently  protested  against  the  then  unspiritu- 
alized  condition  of  the  English  Church  ;  and  when  George  White- 
field,  the  great  Evangelist,  visited  and  preached  in  the  Colonies, 
there  was  aroused  great  religious  fervor  in  his  region.  White- 
field's  preaching  was  very  impassioned,  and  very  remarkable. 
Benjamin  Franklin,  in  his  autobiography,  says  of  his  preaching  in 
Phiadelphia : 

"The  multitudes  of  all  sects  and  denominations  that  attended 
his  sermons  were  enormous  and  it  was  matter  of  speculation  to 
me,  who  was  one  of  the  number,  to  observe  the  extraordinary 
influence  of  his  oratory  on  his  hearers,  and  how  much  they  ad- 
mired and  respected  him,  notwithstanding  his  common  abuse  of 
them,  by  assuring  them  they  were  naturally  half  beasts  and  half 
devils.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  the  change  soon  made  in  the 
manner  of  our  inhabitants.  From  being  thoughtless  or  indifferent 
about  religion,  it  seemed  as  if  all  the  world  were  growing  reli- 
gious, so  that  one  could  not  walk  thro'  the  town  in  an  evening 
without  hearing  psalms  sung  in  different  families  of  every  street." 

The  enthusiasm  which  was  aroused  by  Whitefield,  and  the 
other  great  revivalists  who  came  with  him,  was  sweeping ;  and  it 
was  remarkable  how  they  got  funds  together  to  build  Churches. 
On  one  occasion,  writes  Franklin,  Whitefield  desired  to  establish 
a  charitable  orphanage  in  Georgia  which  Franklin  thought  was 
impracticable,  and  he  says  in  his  autobiography  : 

"I  therefore  refused  to  contribute.  I  happened  soon  after  to 
attend  one  of  his  sermons,  in  the  course  of  which  I  perceived  he 
intended  to  finish  with  a  collection  and  I  silently  resolved  he 
should  get  nothing  from  me.  I  had  in  my  pocket  a  handful  of 
copper  money,  three  or  four  silver  dollars,  and  five  pistoles  in 
gold.  As  he  proceeded  I  began  to  soften,  and  concluded  to  give 
the  coppers.  Another  stroke  of  his  oratory  made  me  ashamed  of 
that,  and  determined  me  to  give  the  silver;  and  he  finished  so 
admirably  that  I  empty'd  my  pocket  wholly  into  the  collector's 
dish,  gold  and  all. ' ' 

He  must  also  have  been  a  very  genial, lovable  man  personally, 
because  while  Franklin  was  not  in  sympathy  with  his  preaching, 
Whitefield  and  he  seemed  to  have  been  great  friends,  and  on  one 


87 


occasion  Whitefield  wrote  asking  Franklin  if  he  might  stay  with 
him.  Franklin's  reply  was  "You  know  my  house ;  if  you  can 
make  shift  with  its  scant  accommodations,  you  will  be  most 
heartily  welcome. 5 ' 

Whitefield  replied  "If  you  made  that  kind  offer  for  Christ's 
sake,  you  should  not  miss  of  a  reward."  And  says  Franklin,  "I 
returned,  'Don't  let  me  be  mistaken  ;  it  was  not  for  Christ's  sake, 
but  for  your  sake'  "  and  adds  Franklin,  "One  of  our  common 
acquaintances  jocosely  remark'd  that,  knowing  it  to  be  the  cus- 
tom of  the  saints,  when  they  received  any  favour,  to  shift  the 
burden  of  the  obligaiton  from  off  their  own  shoulders,  and  place 
it  in  heaven,  I  had  contriv'd  to  fix  it  on  earth." 

The  preaching  of  Whitefield  and  his  associates  was  an  exhorta- 
tion to  give  up  bad  habits;  to  live  simply,  without  lewdness  and 
in  virtue;  to  deal  justly  and  fairly  by  all  men;  and  to  turn  to- 
ward a  God  to  whom  was  attributed  qualities  of  love,  mercy  and 
fatherly  kindness. 

As  I  said  before,  his  was  sthe  kind  of  life  the  people  in  this 
community  had  sought  to  live,  and  they  responded  to  his  appeal 
and  built  chapels  for  worship;  among  them  Bethel  Chapel.  Thus 
Methodism,  in  its  turn,  became  and  has  remained  a  great  and 
moving  force  for  good  here. 

Referring  now  to  material  matters,  the  produce  of  the  far  ms 
was  and  always  has  been  abundant.  Every  man  has  always  had 
sufficient  to  live  on,  and  many  have  had  an  abundance.  There 
were  no  attempts  to  take  unfair  advantage  in  the  business  dealings 
of  the  community.  The  standards  of  honesty  were  high.  Men 
met  their  obligations.  I  cannot  recall,  as  a  boy,  when  I  lived 
in  this  communtiy,  the  occurrence  of  any  serious  breaches  of  the 
law.  I  remember  at  my  own  home,  that  while  the  front  door  of 
the  house  was  always  carefully  locked  at  night,  most  of  the  others 
were  wide  open.  Life  and  personal  property  were  secure.  The 
delights  of  life  were  enjoyed  simply,  merrily  and  thoroughtly 
without  undue  show  or  ostentation.  There  was  no  pride  of 
wealth.  Indeed  the  manner  of  living  of  most  of  the  people  was 
too  generous  to  permit  of  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  and  men 
and  women  enjoyed  their  lives  freely  and  happily,  without  any 
attempt  on  the  part  of  their  neighbors  to  limit  their  conduct  or 
control  their  beliefs. 

I  have  attempted  to  draw  a  contrast  between  the  lives  of 
descendants  of  Englishmen  who  settled  in  New  England  and  the 
lives  of  descendants  of  Englishmen,  and  others,  who  settled  here. 
On  the  one  hand,  in  New  England  while  they  have  undoubtedly 
accumulated  greater  wealth  than  has  been  accumulated  here,  they 


88 


have  lived  under  the  most  serious  and  unlovely  philosophy  and 
religious  beliefs;  and  amid  the  most  rigid  social  conditions,  with 
very  little  of  that  which  is!; genial  in  their  lives;  whereas,  on  the 
other  hand,  here,  the  people  have  lived  simply,  with  a  keen  de- 
sire to  see  the  right  and  to  do  it,  to  be  genial  and  gracious  with 
each  other,  and  to  get  from  life  the  joy,  happiness  and  pleasure 
which  makes  life  a  delight,  and  the  world  a  place  of  beauty. 

If  the  Nobles  and  the  Davises  and  the  Kinders  and  others, 
who  settled  in  this  community  have  won  for  the  people  who  reside 
here  what  I  have  attempted  to  point  out,  and  what  I  conceive  is 
the  fact,  then  the  result  of  their  work  has,  to  my  mind,  been  more 
worth  while  than  bad  they  accumulated  silver  and  gold,  and  at 
the  same  time  failed  to  win  from  life  its  sweetness  and  its  beauty. 
They  have  done  more  for  themselves  and  the  world  than  those 
restless  and  discontented  spirits  who  have  lived  and  worked  in 
New  England. 

And  what  for  the  future?  This  seems  to  be  an  age  of  doing, 
of  building,  of  inventing,  of  organizing.  The  vast  and  sudden 
accumulation  of  great  fortunes,  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
seems  to  have  set  before  the  minds  of  many  of  our  people  solely 
the  accumulation  of  riches  as  an  object  of  life. 

In  the  great  crowded  centres  the  beautiful  seems  to  be  giving 
place  to  the  material.  There  seems  no  time  to  seek  the  eternal 
truths,  learning,  scholarship  and  to  cultivate  the  gentler  side  of 
each  other ;  and,  instead  of  seeking  happiness  and  contentment 
as  an  object,  the  acquirement  of  wealth  for  the  material  position 
it  can  bring,  seems  to  be  the  purpose  of  the  day. 

Millions  of  people  in  this  country  are  today  enjoying  better 
schools,  are  better  clothed,  better  fed  and  better  housed  and  they 
live  more  securely  and  are  better  protected  against  disease  and 
oppression  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  world,  because  of 
the  material  progress  that  has  been  made. 

All  this  means  system  and  organization.  The  necessities  of 
organization  require  the  closest  attention,  and  it  seems  unques- 
tionably true  that  to  many  the  perfecting  of  organization  and 
combination  for  the  wealth  that  they  will  bring,  seems  an  object 
alone  If  this  be  true,  generally,  in  this  country,  as  is  frequenty 
asserted,  the  people  have  sold  their  birth -right  for  a  mess  of  pot- 
tage. 

But,  it  is  not  true  generally,  and  it  is  only  seemingly  true  in 
the  great  crowded  centres. 

The  men  needed  there,  to  manage  great  organizations,  are  not 
those  thus  sorded.  The  kind  of  men  that  are  needed  are  those 
who  see  clearly,  who  have  no  difficulty  at  any  time  in  knowing 


89 


that  they  have  no  right  to  another  man's  property,  and  who, 
under  no  circumstances,  will  take  an  improper  advantage  of 
other  men;  men  of  such  quaities  that  they  will  be  patient  in  the 
doing  of  right,  in  dealing  justly  and  fairly,  and  in  making  their 
conquests  the  result  of  fair  dealing.  So  that  while  on  the  one 
hand  wealth  has  been  accumulated  so  suddenly  that  it  seems  fairly 
to  stagger  the  imagination,  on  the  other  hand,  the  qualities  which 
are  required  for  its  administration  and  for  the  administration  and 
accomplishment  of  great  organizations  and  the  doing  of  great 
things,  are  those  qalities  and  characteristics  which  those  early 
people,  who  settled  in  this  community,  set  for  their  own  living, 
and  which  standard  of  life  and  of  living  is  the  proudest  heritage 
descended  to  their  children. 

When  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robinson,  who  has  addressed  you  today, 
left  here  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  he  closed  his  farewell  ser- 
mon, as  I  so  well  recall,  with  St.  Paul's  counsel  to  the  Philip- 
pi  ans  : 

"Finally,  brethren,  whatsover  things  are  true,  whatsoever 
things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things 
are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of 
good  report;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise, 
think  on  these  things." 

No  man  could  make  a  sorrier  mistake  than  to  suppose  that 
the  seemingly  materialistic  tendencies  of  the  day  have  done 
away  with  the  things  that  are  true,  the  things  that  are  honest, 
the  things  that  are  just,  the  things  that  are  pure,  the  things  that 
are  lovely,  the  things  that  are  cf  good  report. 

The  success  of  the  untruthful  and  dishonest  is  ephemeral. 
The  men  who  in  fact  are  succeeding  in  the  great  crowded  centres, 
as  well  as  here,  are  those  who  ring  true,  who  are  honest  and  just, 
whose  purposes  in  affairs  are  free  from  guile,  are  direct  and 
straightforward,  in  other  words,  pure,  whose  lives  are  in  fact 
worthy  of  love  and  respect,  and  who  earnestly  seek  to  have  only 
good  report  of  themselves.  They  know  that  "a  good  name  is 
rather  to  be  chosen  than  great  riches,  and  loving  favour  rather 
than  silver  and  gold." 

So  it  would  be  entirely  misleading  to  believe  that  there  is 
one  test  of  success  in  the  crowded  centres,  and  another  in  a  com- 
munity like  this.  Real  success  in  both  places  follows  from  the 
exercise  of  the  same,  identical  qualities.  The  cities  are  recruited 
from  the  country  ;  and  those  who  have  the  stamina  of  the  men 
whose  settlement  here  we  celebrate  today,  who  have  industry, 
who  deal  fairly  and  justly  whether  here  or  elsewhere  take  their 
important  and  responsible  places  in  the  great  combinations  and 


90 


organizations  of  life  to  do  things  whether  it  be  in  one  sphere  or 
another. 

The  men  who  settled  here  were  right,  theu,  when  they  gave 
to  their  children  such  standards  of  what  is  true,  honest,  just, 
pure,  lovely  and  of  good  report;  for  those  standards  are  the  true 
ones  and  have  endured  throughout  the  ages.  And  it  is  the  privi- 
lege, as  well  as  the  duty  of  their  descendants  to  protect  their 
names,  preserve  their  story,  and  be  a  lasting  monument  to  their 
glory. 


Joinder  ffiamilxj  ^tqqs 


Descendants  of  Warren  Kinder, 

Bom  Dec.  4,  X  800.— Died  Oct.  lf  1883. 


CHILDREN  OF  ANN  DAVIS  KINDER 

GRANDCHILDREN 

Caleb  Davis  Kinder,  born  March  15,  1826. 
Married  Ann  Coates.  Died  July  5, 
1854. 

Mary  F.  Kinder,  born  Nov.  3,  1849. 
Married  1st,  Aug.  12,  1869,  Edward 
Bosnian  ;  2nd,  April  23,  1881,  Sam- 
uel Williams. 

Rhoda  Ann  Kinder,  born  Jan.  31,  1828. 
Married  Wm.  Noble,  Jan.  14,  1851. 
Died  Apr.  28,  1901. 

Sallie  Noble,  born  Nov.  14,  1852.  Mar- 
ried James  Andrews. 

Emily  Kinder,  born  Dec.  5,  1829.  Mar- 
ried Nathaniel  Davis,  Jan.  16,  1849. 
Died  Sept.  29,  1897. 

Mary  Anna  Davis,  born  Nov.  14,  1849  ; 
died  Dec.  25,  1849. 

Tilghman  W.  Davis,  born  Nov.  4,  1850. 
Married  Martha  Williams,  Nov.  26, 
1872. 

I^eona  Davis,  born  July  11,  1853. 

Benjamin  K.  Davis,  born  Jan.  24,  1855. 
Married  Mary  F.  Whitely,  Feb.  26, 

■i  oor 

lobo. 

Margaret  C.  Davis,  born  Dec.  20,  1857  ; 
died  Aug.  20,  1858. 

Willard  S.  Davis,  born  Jan.  19,  1859. 
Married  Annie  Williams,  Dec.  23, 
1880. 


Katie  J.  Davis,  born  Aug.  15,  1860.  Mar- 
ried Scott  Collins,  Aug.  5,  1896. 

Edith  Davis,  born  Dec.  23,  18§7.  Mar- 
ried Joseph  Milligan,  Feb.  13,  1890. 


Alexander  Warren  Kinder,  born  Jan.  11, 
1831 ;  diedjuly  31,  1831. 


Married  (1825)  Ann  M.  Davis;    (1848)  Eliza  A.  Bradley; 
(1859)  Emeline  Davis, 

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 


Norman  Bosman,  born  July  4,  1870  ;  died  Feb.  18,  1871. 

Hattie  Bosman,  born  Feb.  18,  1872,    Married  J.  Hartzell,  Jan.  31,  1905. 

Minnie  E.  Williams,  born  Oct.  15,  1881.    Married  O.  E.  Wiley,  Mar.  23,  1905. 
Eva  Mae  Williams,  born  July  14,  1883. 

William  Noble  Andrews,  born  Nov.  13,  1876.     Married  Bessie  Walworth,  Oct.  18, 
1904. 

Carrie  Andrews,  born  Jan.  25,  1878.     Married  Frank  Myers  Casson,  Nov.  26,  1903. 
Mary  Andrews,  born  May  25,  1881.    Married  John  Hopkins  Loux,  May  28,  1903. 
Stephen  Kinder  Andrews,  born  Feb.  21,  1885. 
Helen  Andrews,  born  Apr.  26,  1886. 
James  E.  Andrews,  born  Apr.  5,  1892. 


Howard  N.  Davis,  born  June  4,  1874.    Married  Golda  Alford,  Dec.  27,  1904. 
Benjamin  F.  Davis,  born  June  23,  1880.    Married  Minnie  Obier,  Feb.  10,  1904. 
Ora  W.  Davis,  born  Apr.  23,  1883. 


William  Davis,  born  Dec.  28,  1885. 
Mary  Leslie  Davis,  born  Feb.  13,  1887. 
Ella  Castelia  Davis,  born  May  14,  1888. 
Emily  Cecilia  Davis,  born  July  30,  1889. 
Benjamin  Ray  Davis,  born  Aug.  27,  1890. 
Charles  Davis,  born  Mar.  13,  1893. 
Bessie  Leona  Davis,  born  Jan.  13,  1895. 


Lewis  Wright  Davis,  born  Mar.  22,  1882  ;  died  Apr.  30,  1894. 
Elsie  May  Davis,  born  Sept.  8,  1884. 

Gertrude  Williams  Davis,  born  June  9,  1887  ;  died  Nov.  9,  1892. 

Lulu  Kinder  Davis,  born  July  26,  1890. 

Mary  Emily  Davis,  born  Apr.  7,  1895. 

Frances  Elizabeth  Willard  Davis,  born  Apr.  8,  1897. 

Ruth  Evelyn  Davis,  born  June  29,  1903. 


Warren  Milligan,  born  July  12,  1897  ;  died  June  29,  1898. 
Catkenne^Ross  Milligan,  born  Jan.  30,  1902. 
Emily  Davis  Milligan,  born  Jan.  30,  1902. 


Descendants  of 


Stephen  Asbury  Kinder,  born  July  19, 
1832  ;  died  Nov.  10,  1837. 

Sina  Kinder,  born  Mar.  21,  1834.  Mar- 
ried, 1st,  Thomas  L.  Rawlins,  Jan. 
17,  1855  ;  2nd,  John  Rawlins,  Dec.  1, 
1879. 

Linden  Kinder  Rawlins,  born  July  18, 
1859  ;  died  June  15,  1889. 

Eliza  Amanda  Kinder,  born   Mar.  18, 
1836.     Married  William  B.  Cannon, 
Jan.  28,  1858.    Died  June  17,  1900. 

Olin  Penn  Cannon,  born  Oct.  31,  1868. 
Married  Alice  Brown,  Sept.,  1884. 

Edmerson  Everett  Cannon,  born  Dec.  31, 
1859.  Married  Sue  Finley,  July  29, 
1893. 

Harry  Lee  Cannon,  born  Mar.,  1864; 
died  June,  1864. 

Mary  Cannon,  born  July  20,  1868.  Mar- 
ried Robert  Houston  Fooks,  Jan.  2, 
1890. 

Ella  Cannon,  born  Sept.  25,  1873.  Mar- 
ried George  W.  Emery,  Dec.  4,  1901. 

Castelia  Kinder,  born  Jan.  3,  1838.    Mar- 1 
ried  Amos  K.  Corbin,  Dec.  16,  1880.  | 

Martha  Ellen  Kinder,  born  June  30,1840. 
Married  Henry  C.  Lewis,  Feb.  9, 
1881. 

Warren  Kendall  Lewis,  born  Aug.  21, 

William  Edward  Kinder,  born  Sept.  8, 
1841 ;  died  Sept.  18,  1841. 

Caroline  Kinder,  born  Aug.   27,  1842. 
Married  Robert  !H.  Wilson,  Dec.  20, 
1864.    Died  Jan.,  1875. 

Margaret  S.  Wilson,  born  Sept.  3,  1865. 

Robert  G.  Wilson,  born  June  26,  1870. 
Married  Lillie  Silcott,  Oct.,  1893. 

Mary  Adelaide  C.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  12, 
1843.    Married,  1st,  Daniel  Noble, 
Nov.  15,  1865;  2nd,  Isaac  K.  Wright, 
Oct.,  1897. 

Lillian  C.  Noble,  born  Apr.  17,  1869. 
Married  Albert  Handy,  1889. 

Warren  Kinder*  (Continued.) 


Henry  Edward  Cannon,  born  Mar.  6,  1887. 
Annie  Brown  Cannon,  born  May  15,  1889. 
Iyinden  Kinder  Cannon,  born  Feb.  15,  1891. 
Mary  Amanda  Cannon,  born  Jan.  26,  1895. 
Olin  Penn  Cannon,  born  Dec.  4,  1902. 

Everett  Finley  Cannon,  born  Jan.  6,  1896. 
Marjorie  Cannon,  born  Nov.  7,  1898. 
William  Edward  Cannon,  born  Oct.  28,  1900. 


Carleton  Cannon  Fooks,  born  Oct.  10,  1890. 
Warren  Houston  Fooks,  born  Sept.  20,  1892. 


Elizabeth  Cottingham  Emery,  born  Oct.  1,  1903. 
George  William  Emery,  born  Jan.  4,  1905. 


Twiford  Wilson,  born  Oct.,  1894.  , 
Willard  Saulsbury  Wilson,  born  1901. 

Alvin  N.  Handy,  born  Feb.  12,  1892  ;  died  July  26,  1892. 

Helen  Handy,  born  Sept.  20,  1893, 

Roland  Handy,  born  July  1,  1898. 

Mary  N.  Handy,  born  Jan.  9,  1901. 

Albert  D.  Handy,  born  Nov.  5,  1902. 

Noble  Handy,  born  May  4,  1904. 


Descendants  of  John  Kinder 

Born  June  18,  (803— Died  July  J  7,  1883. 


CHILDREN 

GRANDCHILDREN 

Elizabeth  Kinder,  born  Oct.  29, 
1828.    Married  Rev.  Edward 
Davis,  March  24,  1846.  Died, 
July  2,  1874. 

>C 

Annie  Castelia  Davis,  born  October  14th,  1848. 
Married  James  Davis.  Died  August  3,  1869. 

Leland  Ambrose  Davis,  born  July  8,  1851. 
Married  Ella  Boston,  Nov.  5,  1884. 

Mary  Arribelle  Davis,  born  Nov.  20,1853.  Mar- 
ried Abner  Bailey  Nov.  18,  1894. 

John  Emory  Davis,  born  April  9,  1856.  Married 
Helena  Ward,  Feb.  1882.  Helena  died, 
June  1,  1882. 

Ella  Chaplain  Davis,  born  Feb.  6,  1865.  Mar- 
ried Elijah  Thompson  Bowen.Jan.  11,  1883. 

Mary  W.  Kinder,  born  April  10, 
1830.    Died,  Oct.  2,  1832. 

Tilghman  D.  Kinder,  born  Dec. 

22,  1831.    Married  Martha  J. 

Cannon,  Jan.  19,  1854.  Died, 
Nov.  22,  1901. 

Edgar  L-  Kinder,  born  May  1,  1855.  Mar- 
ried Mary  E.  Cutler,  November  28,  1878. 

Lelia  F.  Kinder,  born  July  25,  1858.  Married 
David  J.  Lewis,  Oct.  25,  1882. 

Tnhn  T^,   T^Tinrlpr  horn  An  cm  est  31    ISfiS  TVTprri^rl 

Emily  Josephine  Simick,  April  24,  1901. 

Mary  W.  Kinder,  born  April  13, 
1833.     Married  Thomas  W. 
Layton,  May  IT,  1852,  Died, 
May  12,  1899. 

Ida  Kitturah  Lay  ton,  born  Oct.  21,  1855.  Mar- 
ried Elias  E.  Ward  Feb.  18,1884. 

M"n  rrr  Tlinmac  T  aTr+r\ti         l*tl  Till  ir   "1  1     1  ftAft       "IVT  o  r 

ividry  j.xiuiiia.o  ±ya,yiuii  lhjiu  j  ixiy  xjl,  1000.  ivj.d.r- 

ried  George  Frederic  Callaway  Oct.  19, 
1880. 

Minnie  Castelin  Layton,  born  Nov.  6,  1861. 
Died  April  10,  1888. 

Frederick  Kinder  Layton,  born  Apr.  26,  1867, 
Died  July  27,  1869. 

Oscar  Lin  wood  Layton,  born  Sept.  10,  1868. 
Married,  Mary  Caroline  Turpin  Nov.  28, 
1899. 

Madeline  White  Layton,  born  Dec.  17,  1872. 
Died,  July  7,  1873. 

Isaac  A.  Kinder,  born  Nov.  2, 1836.  \  Katherine  Castelia  Kinder,  born,  Nov.  8,  1863. 
Married,  Sarah  Lucetta  Can-         Died  March  8,  1865. 

non  January  14,  1863. 

Franklin  Jefferson  Kinder,  born  March  6,1865. 
Married,  Luella  Watson  March  31,  1892. 

Emma  Rosalie  Kinder,  born  Apr.  28, 1868.  Mar- 
ried Edw.  J.  Winder  Nov.  6,  1889. 

Harry  Edmondson  Kinder,  born  Nov.  8,  1872. 
Married,  Anna  Elliott  Oct.  25,  1905. 

Samuel  W.  Kinder,  born  Oct.  20,  1 
1838.    Married,  Mary  P.  Rich- 
ards March  20,  1890. 

Mary  Castelia  Kinder,  born  May  8,  1891. 

Married,  Castelia  Davis,  January  3,  J  828;  died,  Sept.  17,  1857. 
Married,  Catherine  Davis,  June  3,  1858;  died,  Sept.  2J,  i860. 


GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 


Ella  Chaplain  Davis,  bora  March  5,  1886. 


Edward  F,  Bowen,  born  February  24,  1895. 


Bessie  Castelia  Kinder,  born  September  4,  1879. 
Katherine  Cutler  Kinder,  born  November  23,  1882. 
Hurburt  Bruce  Kinder,  born  March  27,  1885. 
Mabell  Kinder,  born  February  28,  1887. 
William  Edgar  Kinder,  born  March  31,  1893. 
Mary  Lectora  Kinder,  born  September  6,  1900. 

Walter  H.  Lewis,  born  Nov.  16,  1883, 

Ethel  Lewis,  born  October  6,  1886.  

George  C.  Kinder,  born  February  14,  1902. 


Edna  Layton  Ward,  born  September  15,  1886. 
Nellie  Ward,  born  January  30,  1890. 
Minnie  Ward,  born  April  10  1892. 
Lois  Ward,  born  May  5,  1894. 

Marion  Vaughan  Callaway,  born  April  20,  1882. 
Mary  Layton  Callaway,  born  August  29,  1888. 
Howard  Frederic  Callaway,  born  October  10,  1890. 
Laura  Adele  Callaway,  born  December  6,  1894. 


Myra  Demott  Layton,  born  September  15,  1900. 
Minnie  Frances  Layton,  born  February  3,  1903. 
Madeline  Love  Layton,  born  June  28,  1905. 


Evelyn  Cannon  Kinder,  born  September  9,  1893. 

Katherine  Elizabeth  Kinder,  born  February  28,  1900. 

Franklin  Watson  Kinder,  born  January  10,  1902.    Died,  March  7,  1906. 

Crawford  Cannon  Winder,  born  April  4,  1891.    Died,  August  22,  1892. 
Lucetta  Frances  Winder,  born  January  22,  1898.    Died,  July  3,  1898. 


Descendants  of  Jacob  Kinder 


Born  Dec*  \6f  \  808— Died  Aug,  18,  \  885, 


'      CHILDREN  OF  MARY  C.  KINDER 

GRANDCHILDREN 

Charlotte  Clay  Kinder,  born  May  20, 
1834.     Married  Samuel  H.  Melson, 
Dec.  22,  1858. 

James  P.  Melson,  born  Nov.  14,  1859; 
died  Jan.  6,  1860. 

Mary  B.  Melson,  born  June  22,  1861  ; 
died  April  1,  1876. 

Daniel  F.  Melson,  born  June  14,  1863 ; 
died  Nov.  14,  1863. 

John  F.  Melson,  born  May  23,  1864. 
Married  Willie  S.  Butler,  Dec.  1, 
1886. 

Maria  B.  Melson,  born  Jan.  9,  1872;  died 
Aug.  13,  1872. 

Lewis  W.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  27,  1836. 
Married  Catharine  Ross,  Jan.  15, 
1862. 

Wm.  J.  Kinder,  born  Oct.,  1862;  died 
Feb.  16,  1863. 

Charlie  H.  Kinder,  born  Feb.  7,  1864. 
Married  Alice  Handy,  Jan.  6,  1891. 

Sallie  M.  Kinder,  born  Feb.  23,  1869. 
Married  Oliver  W.  Handy,  June  3, 
1905. 

Samuel  L.  Kinder,  born  Aug.  18,  1870. 
Married  Sallie  Bdgell,  Jan.  6, 1898. 

Mary  C.  Kinder,  born  Nov.  3,  1873. 
Married  Luther  W.  Handy,  Jan.  4, 
1899. 

John   H.   Kinder,   born  Jan.  25,  1839. 
Married  Maria  M.  Melson,  Dec.  19, 
1860. 

Castelia  L.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  21,  1861 ; 
died  Jan.  2,  1864. 

Laura  C.  Kinder,  born  Sept.  4,  1863  ; 
died  April  5,  1870. 

Mary  B.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  26,  1866. 
Married  W.  Harry  Brown,  Dec.  24, 
1890. 

John  J.  Kinder,  born  March  23,  1871. 
Married  Bva  W.  Brown,  July,  1891. 

Lizzie  R.   Kinder,  born  Jan.  7,  1841. 
Married  James  M.  Hollis,  Jan.  15, 
1873. 

Chas.  M.  Hollis,  born  Nov.  27,  1874. 
Married  Mary  A.  Kinney,  Dec.  14, 
1904. 

Stephen  W.  Kinder,  born  June  4,  1843 ; 
died  Nov.  16,  1904. 

Wesley  S.  Kinder,  born  Jan.  25,  1846.  | 

David  B.  Kinder,  born  June  8,  1848. 

Daniel  O.  Kinder,  born  Jan.  20,  1852  ; 
died  Aug.  11,  1853. 

Married  Mary  Cannon,  December  20,  1832* 


GREAT-GRAXDCHILDREN 


Charlie  H.  Melson,  born  Nov.  18,  1888. 
Roland  F,  Melson,  born  Jan.  25,  1895. 
S.  Elmer  Melson,  born  June  27,  1896. 
Edith  W.  Melson,  born  May  16,  1898. 


Lewis  H.  Kinder,  born  July  20.  1895. 
Mary  Catharine  Kinder,  born  Dec.  2,  1905. 


Harold  E.  Kinder,  born  Sept.  4,  1898. 

Katie  R.  Kinder,  born  Apr.  4,  1901. 

Leon  P.  Kinder,  born  Apr.  4,  1901  :  died  June  4,  1901. 

Lizzie  H.  Kinder,  born  May  6,  1905. 

Myra  K.  Handy,  born  Jan.  22,  1900. 


Grace  Brown,  born  Oct.  19,  1891. 

Karl  Kinder  Brown,  born  Sept.  20.  1896. 


Harlan  W.  Kinder,  born  May  27,  1892. 
Granville  B.  Kinder,  born  Apr.  1,  1900. 
Gladys  Kinder,  born  Aug.  18,  1902. 


Merle  Madison  Hollis,  born  Oct.  11,  1905  ;  died  in  infancy. 


Descendants  of  Sina  Kinder 


Bom  March  14,  \ 8t  J— Died  May  26,  J895- 


CHILDREN 

GRAND  CHILDREN 

Isaac  Kinder  Wright,  born  Sept,  27,1829. 
Married  1st,  Nancy  R.  Liden,  Jan. 
10,  1854;  2nd,  Mary  A.  C.  Noble, 
October  26,  1897.  First  wife  died 
October  21,  1896.  He  died  October 
21,  1905. 

Jiuwara  i^ewis  wrignt,  Dorn  uct.  o,  ioo4. 
Married  Dec.  21,  1875,  Anna  Lamorah 
Ross.    Born  Oct.  29,  1852. 

xvnos  .Beii  wrignx,  oorn  oept.  /,  looo. 
Married,  Ella  Melson  Jan.  10,  1878. 

Mary  Selena  Wright,  born  Feb.  16,  1859. 
Died  August  o,  looy. 

Sallie  Richards  Wright,  born  Sept.  19, 
looi.  Married,  Jan.  y,  io/7,  .Benja- 
min F.  Melson.    Born  Mar.  26, 1847. 

una  v.  wngnt,  oorn  .reD.  lo,  looo. 
Married,  Fernandes  Davis  Jan.  25, 
1887.    Died  June  28,  1896. 

Jacob  Warren  Wright,  born  Oct.  19, 1832. 
DiedUec.  19,  1832. 

Rhoda  Ann  Wright,  born  July  10,  1836. 
Married,  Dec.  12,  1855,  to  Philip 
Henry  Rawlins.    Born  Sept.  18,1834. 

Salina  Gabrella  Rawlins,  born  Feb.  13, 
1857.    Died,  Feb.  19,  1857. 

Thomas  Newton  Rawlins, born  Oct. 6, 1858. 
Mar'd,S.AlbertaWright,Apr.l4,1896. 

Windsor  Rawlins,  born  Sept.  12,  1860. 
Died  same  day. 

Wilbur  Fisk  Rawlins,  born  March  29, 
1863.  Married  Flora  Jane  Buell, 
Oct.  1,  1891. 

Henry  Isaac  Rawlins,  born  Oct.  4,  1874. 
Died  Dec.  25,  1877. 

Elizabeth  Warren  Wright,  born  Aug.  13, 
1839.  Married,  John  Emory  Rich- 
ards Oct.  28,  1857.  John  E.  Rich- 
ards died  Nov.  25,  1897. 

John  Richards,  born  Jan.  2,  1859.  Mar- 
ried,Nellie  Lucretia  Williams  Feb.  7, 
1888.    She  was  born  Feb.  7,  1869. 

Mary  Hughlett  Riehards,  born  July  30, 
1860.  Married,  Robert  F.  Leden- 
Vmm  Tan     28    1885     Rnrn   Deo  15 

XXcxLLl,  J  till.     /wO,    lOO'J.       XJKJLll     Xs\ZS**,  Xv, 

1852. 

Sina  Ann  Richards,  Jan.  24,  1863.  Died 
Nov.  14,  1865. 

Sallie  Russell  Richards,  born  Dec.  21, 
1864.  Married,  John  Henry  Willey, 
Jan.  18,  1888.    Born  Jan.  11,  1859. 

Elizabeth  Causey  Richards,  born  Oct. 
30,  1871.  Married,  Jay  Clarence 
Lockerman,  Dec.  25,  1902.  Loeker- 
man  was  born  Sept.  19,  1875. 

Lewis  Wright  Richards,  born  Apr.  9, 
1874.  Married,  Mary  Hargadine 
Dill,  Apr.  24,  1902.  She  died  Jan. 
20,  1905. 

Mary  Selena  Wright,  born  Aug.  19,  1849. 
Died  July  6,  1850. 

Married  October  23rd,  1828  to  Lewis  N*  Wright  who  died 
December  25th,  \  883,  aged  79  years,  4  months  and  7  days. 

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

Harry  Kinder  Wright,  born  July  17,  1879. 
Glenna  Ross  Wright,  born  May  13,  1885. 

Helen  Fooks  WT  right,  born  January  18, 1880.    Earnest  Jefferson  Wright,  born  Decem- 
ber  15,  1882.    Lewis  Newton  Wright,  born  July  15,  1889.  


Walter  Wright  Melson,  born  1877.    Married  Clara  R.  Strayham  June  10,  1903. 
Clarence  Henry  Melson,  born  1880.    Married  Mary  C.  Simpson,  Nov.  22,  1905. 
Lewis  Benjamin  Melson,  born  1882.    Died  November  22,  1882.  


Sarah  Wright  Rawlins,  born  August  21,  1897. 
Philip  Joseph  Thomas  Rawlins,  born  March  29,  1902. 


Rhoda  Ellen  Rawlins,  born  July  8,  1892. 
Lois  Rawlins,  born  August  26,  1893. 
Flora  Rawlins,  born  July  17,  1897. 


John  Williams  Richards,  born  October  16th,  1889. 


Anna  Richards  Ledenham,  born  February  23,  1886 
Hubert  Stanley  Ledenham,  born  July  14,  1887. 
Mary  Elizabeth  Ledenham,  born  October  12,  1896. 
Emily  Ruth  Ledenham,  born  November  15,  1899. 


Ralph  Emory  Willey,  born  December  21,  1888.  Olive  Elizabeth  Willey,  bora  May 
23, 1893.  Rhoda  Wright  Willey,  born  February  22,  1896.  Charles  Henry  Willey, 
born  November  10,  1900.  

Mary  Richards  Lockerman,  born  November  25,  1903. 

Anna  Tamsey  Lockerman,  born  April  27,  1905.    Died  July  15,  1905. 


Mary  Hargadine  Dill  Richards,  born  October  2,  1904. 


Descendants  of  Daniel  B.  Kinder 

Born  Oct.  3,  1816— Diedja)flf%3,  1898.      ^  -^J^- 


CHILDREN  OF  MARY  E.  DUKES  KINDER 

GRANDCHILDREN 

Sina  W.   Kinder,  Born  Oct.  17,  1846. 
Married  T.  N.  Wright,  Jan.  3,  1867. 

Ella  Kinder  Wright,  born  Sept.  28,  1867. 
Married  Samuel  Calloway,  April  8, 
1891. 

Frank  L.  Wright,  born  Sept.  18,  1869. 
Married  Ida  Wheatley,  Sept.22,1890. 

Ada  C.  Wright,  born  Nov.  1,  1874.  Mar- 
ried Revel  Bozman,  Dec.  25,  1902, 

Frederic  N.  Wright,  bora  July  12,  1877. 
Married  Laura  Stroup,  Aug.  20,1902. 

CHILDREN  OF  M.  EMII^Y  KINDER^'" 

Wm.  Webster  Kinder,  born  Jan.  11,1855. 
Married  Adelaide  Waters,  Dec.  31, 
1878. 

Warren  L.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  13,  1883. 

Frederic  W.   W.  Kinder,  born  Oct.  3, 
1886;  died  Feb.  12,  1891. 

Jesse  Kinder,  born  June  28,  1856 ;  died 
Nov.  4,  1856. 

Tattirsj  T^inder  born  Oct.  5,  1857  ;  died 
Nov.  4,  1857. 

Mary  E.  Kinder,  born  Dec.  19,  1858. 
Married  S.  Maddox  Noble,  Feb.  4, 
1879. 

Linden  C.  Noble,  born  Nov.  1,  1879. 
May  Noble,  bora  Dec.  25,  1883;  died 

Apr.  10,  1900. 
Elsie  R.  Noble,  born  Jan.  12,  1887. 
winie  v-.  iNODie,  Dora  xnov.  «7,  10017. 
Robt.  K.  Noble,  born  Sept.  10,  1895. 
Paul  Noble,  born  Dec.  24,  1901. 

J.  Thomas  Kinder,  bora  Aug.  30,  1861. 
Married  Anna  Graham,  Feb.  14, 
1893. 

Ida  F.  Kinder,  born  July  28,  1864.  Mar- 
ried Chas.  S.  Lewis,  Dec.  7,  1898. 

Helen  May  Lewis,  born  Jan.  17,  1900. 
died  Apr.  20,  1901. 

Ella  Kinder,  born  Oct.  3,  1867;  died  Oct. 
24,  1867. 


Married  (1st)  Mary  E,  Dukes,  February  18th,  1845; 
(2nd)  Mary  Emily  Davis,  January  26th,  1854. 


GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

Daniel  Henry  Calloway,  born  March  3,  1892. 
Wm.  Treat  Calloway,  bora  Sept.  12,  1895. 
Amos  Noble  Calloway,  bora  Jan.  11,  1898. 
Esther  A.  Calloway,  bora  March  12,  1902. 

Clara  A.  Wright,  born  June  18,  1892;  died  April  27,  1899. 
Sina  Emily  Wright,  bora  Mar.  11,  1894. 


Raymond  Bozman,  born  Oct.  23,  1903 ;  died  Aug.  3,  1905. 


Descendants  of  Joshua  Noble 

Married 


CHILDREN 


Chas.  Noble,  mar- 
ried MahjdaDa- 

^jdsjn  182rj~cTTed 
1857. 


GRAND-CHILDREN 


Mary  Noble,  mar- 
ried Alfred  Davis 
in  1842,  ~   — 


Jonathan  T.  Noble, 
married 

Eliza  Ward  in 
1852. 


GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 


Emily  Davis,  married  Henry  Cannon. 
Augusta  Davis,  married  Robert  Booth; 
died  1903. 

Mary  Adeline  Davis,  married  J.  James  ; 
died  1875. 

Chas.  Davis,  married  Martha  Watkins. 

Isaac  H.  Davis,  died  1854. 

Sallie  Davis,  married  Wm.  Carpenter. 

Annie  Davis,  died  1883. 

James  Davis. 

Laura  Davis,  married  Oliver  O'bier. 


Mary  Noble,  married  Isaac  S.  Warren  in 
1873. 


Sarah  Noble,  married  Geo.  Williams  in 
1872. 


Wm,  D.  Noble, M.D. 
married  Elizabeth 
Vickers  1851. 

Wm.  D.  Noble, M.D. 
married 

Mary  Houston  in 
1859;  died  1880. 


Sarah  Ann  Noble, 
married  Arthur 
Neal  in  1846. 

Sarah  Ann  Noble, 
married  Samuel 
Ward;  died  1869. 


Joseph  W.  Noble,  died  1871. 
Chas.  Noble,  married  Nettie  Borden  in 
1896  ;  died  1905. 


Wm.  L.  W.  Noble,  died  1853. 

Corinne  Noble,  married  Lyman  Johnson 
1879  ;  died  1890. 


Wm.  H.  Noble,  M.  D. 

Robert  H.  Noble,  U.  S.  A. 

Chas.  P.  Noble,  M.  D.,  married  Mira 

Rose,  1885. 
Mary  D.  Noble,  died  May  4,  1867. 
Herbert  Noble,  married  Elsie  Patteson, 

1895. 

James  Neal,  died  1872. 
Jonathan  Neal,  died  1874. 
Chas.  Neal,  died  1861. 


Mary  Ward,  married  Chas.  Smith  ;  died 
1903. 

Wm.  Ward  m. Bertha  VanBurkalow,1884. 


and  Sallie  Twiford 

J  797. 


GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

Lenajaines.    Fred  James.    Rosa  James. 

Sadie  Davis.  Annie  Davis.  Winnie  Davis. 
Norman  Davis.  Alfred  Davis. 

Gertie  O'bier.  LethaO'bier.  LynnO'bier. 

J.  Noble  Warren,  married  K.  Herbert  in 

1899  ;  died  1902. 
Sadie  E.  Warren,  died  1897. 
Mary  P.  Warren. 

Madge  Warren,   married    Dr.    W.  F. 
Haines  in  1901. 

Wm.  J.  Warren.    Gretchen  R.  Warren. 
Chas.  L.  Warren.    Corinne  Warren. 

Harlan  F.  Haines. 

Iyida  Williams,  married  Wm.  Murphy 
1896. 

j»  J- •  vv liiidixia,  m.  lYXdiiie  ivi orris  iyuu. 
Walton  Williams,  died  1898. 
Bessie  Williams. 

Grace  Williams,  m.  R.  L.  Vickers  1904. 
J.  Oscar  Williams. 

Harry  T.  Murphy. 
Mary  E.  Murphy. 

R.  L.  Vickers. 

Mary  A.  Noble. 
Oliver  W.  Noble. 

Lyman  Johnson .    Lloyd  J  ohnson . 
Corinne  Johnson. 

Chas.  P.  Noble,  Jr.    Dorothy  Noble. 
Robert  Noble.    Eunice  Noble,  died  1899. 

Herbert  Noble. 
Iyiston  Noble. 

Blanche  Smith.   Floyd  Smith,  died  1905. 
Mary  Smith.       Chas.  Smith,  died  1894. 
Sadie  Smith. 

Ethel  Ward. 

Descendants  of  Joshua  Noble  and 


CHILDREN 

GRANDCHILDREN 

Elizabeth  Noble  married  A.  R.  Adams. 
Died  1875. 

Emily  Adams  married  Noah  Iyednum, 
1851. 

Hester  Adams,  died. 

Margaret  Adams,  died. 

Tc  li^ri    A  nitric  tn  *a  f  1*1  fi/i  TotnAO  XTci»,t"io    "I  W7ll 
XVULil  rxLldJUb  IXXal  IlCU  J  dill  Co  Harris,  lO/U* 

Solomon  T.  Noble  married  Harriet 
Williams.    Died  1868. 

Joseph  W.  Noble  married  Kate  Jacobs, 
18bU.    Died  1885. 

Lottie  Noble  married  Mr.  Ramey. 

Martha  Noble  died  1906. 

Rhoda  E.  Noble  married  J.  M.  A.  Davis, 
1868. 

Harriet  W.  Noble  married  William  H. 
AlDurger,  Jo7u. 

Clementine    Noble    married  Zebulon 
Fountain,  1873. 

S.  Maddux  Noble  married  Mary  E.  Kin- 
der, 1879. 

Sallie  Twiford*  (Continued*) 


GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

Francis  L/ednuni  married.  Mary  H.  Rich- 
ards,  1884. 

Annie  R.  I^ednuni. 
Herbert  S.  Lednum. 
Mary  E.  Lednum. 
Emily  R.  Iyednum. 

Myrtle  Harris  married  William  Fell, 
1902. 

Mary  Harris  married  Frank  Robertson, 

1904. 
Walter  Harris. 
Geneva  Harris. 
Frank  Harris,  died  1901. 

Ruth  Hannah  Fell. 
Hiram  S.  Fell. 

Warner  Noble  married  Fannie  Swain. 
Dora  Noble. 

Rink  Noble  married  Miss  L,audy,  1900. 
Minnie  Noble  mar.  Fred.W  Booker,  1902. 
Karl  Noble  m.  Elizabeth  Elliott,  1904. 

Howard  Noble.    Joseph  Noble. 

Helen  J.  Davis  married  Frank  Reed. 
Nettie  K.  Davis  married  I.  E.  Milbourn. 
Katharine  Bliss  Davis. 

Charles  Reed. 

Dorothy  Milbourn. 

Hettie  Alburger  married  Charles  Jeffer- 
son, 1893. 

Willie  Alburger  married  George  Jeffer- 
son, 1899. 
Eunice  Alburger. 

M.  Marguerite  Jefferson. 
Wm.  Herbert  Jefferson. 
Charles  Roland  Jefferson.1 
Dorothy  Anna  Jefferson. 

Rowena  May  Jefferson. 

Harvey  Fountain  married  Nora  A.  No- 
ble, 1896.    Died  1896. 

Edgar  Fountain  married  Annie  Foun- 
tain, 1900. 

Walter  Fountain  married  Emma  Cohee, 
1900. 

Hattie  Fountain  married  Fred  Peters,  1903 
Frank  Fountain  married  Stella  Noble, 

1904. 
Tina  Fountain. 
Zeb  Fountain. 

Linden  C.  Noble  married  Margaret  Jen- 
nings, Nov.  1905. 
May  Noble,  died  1900. 
Elsie  R.  Noble. 
William  C.  Noble. 
Robert  Noble. 
Paul  Noble. 

Descendants  of  Joshua  Noble  and 


CHILDREN 

GRAND  CHILDREN 

Solomon  T.  Noble,  continued. 

Mahala  Noble  married  Wm,  Alfred  No- 

V»1f>  1871 

Mary  K.  Noble  married  Iy.  K.  Warren, 
1878. 

Robert  N.   Noble  married  N.  Amelia 
Kldridge,  1884. 

Hester  Noble  married  Charles  Smith. 

Sarah  E.  Smith  married  James  Rolf. 

James  Noble   married  Mary  Howard. 
Died  1866. 

Frank  Noble  married  Annie  Edwards. 
RadyJ.  Noble  married  Rear  Admiral  W. 
A.  Windsor,  U.  S.  N. 

Ella  Noble  married  Alva  Hubbard.  Died 
1900. 

Mary  Belle  Noble  married  W.  F.  Pi- 
quette,  1897. 

Alexander  Noble  married  Louisa  Wright. 

Daniel  F.  Noble  married  Mary  Adelaide 
Kinder,  1865.    Died  1890. 

James  A.  Noble  married  Bessie  A.  Farqu- 
harson.    Died  1903. 

Mary  C.  Noble  Married  Robert  D.  Brad- 
ley, 1866. 

Dr.  Harriet  Noble  married  John  Purte, 
1875. 

Sallie  Twiford*  (Continued*) 


GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 

GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

Blanche  Noble  married  John  W.  Stowell, 

Dec.  22,  1898. 
Herman  Noble  married  Nellie  Herr,  June 

22,  1904. 
Robert  Noble. 

Grace  Noble  married  Lee  Chipley,  June 

11,  1905. 
Clarence  Noble. 
Houston  Noble. 

Earl  Warren  married  Lelia  Jones,  1902. 
Corinne  Warren,  died. 

v  ligii  wdrrcii,  u.icu.. 

Ruskin  B.  Warren. 
Gretha  Warren. 
Robert  N.  Warren. 
M.  Elizabeth  Warren. 
Kathleen  C.  Warren,  died. 
J.  Mosena  Warren. 

Helen  Warren,  died  1904. 
Philip  Kirkwood  Warren. 

Harriet  M.  Noble,  died  1891. 
M.  Eldredge  Noble,  died  1893. 
Robert  Lute  Noble. 

William  Rolf,  married. 
Noble  Rolf,  married. 

Rady  Hubbard  married  W.A.  Jones ,1901. 
Myrtle  Hubbard. 

Lillian  Noble  married  A.  S.  Handy,  1889. 
Carrie  S.  Noble,  died  1881. 

A  1      «  —    XT      TT„*.  J  _       J       1  OHO      TT  ^l,,*,    TT„        J3  _ 

Alvan  N.  Handy,  d.  lovz.  Helen  Handy. 

D  a1  n  tl        T-Tn^lrlvr          TV/To  Y~*7   ^Trf"kr"il£*   T-T 1  tl  (  TTT 

xCOianu.  xianay.    iviary  imolhc  xidiiuy. 
Albert  Handy.    George  Noble  Handy. 

James  Noble. 

Helen  Noble,  died  1905. 

Carrie  Bradley. 

Mary  Bradley  married  G.  T.  Chambers, 
1897. 

Roberta  Bradley  married  W.  L.  Wheat- 
ley,  1900. 

Luanna  Bradley  married  L.  G.  Christo- 
pher, 1904. 

Charles   S.  Bradley   married  Elizabeth 
Gromis,  1897. 

Albert  B.  Chambers,  died  1902. 
Louise  Chambers. 

Elberta  Wheatley,  died  1905. 

Lewis  Christopher. 

Myra  Purte  married  Arthur  Prey,  1900. 
Aldred  Purte,  died  1895. 

Descendants  of  Joshua  Noble  and 


CHILDREN 


Amelia  Noble  married  Win.  N.  Collins. 


GRANDCHILDREN 


Rev.  Wm.  Collins. 

Joshua  Collins,  died  1883. 

Henry  Collins  married  Miss  Busby. 

Sallie  Collins  married  Robert  Bratton. 

Georgiana  Collins  married  Mr.  Studley. 

Emily  Collins  married  Henry  Shock. 

Hester  Collins.    Laura  Collins. 

Rhoda  Collins  married  Charles  Collins 

of  Bush  rod. 
Edward  Collins. 


Wm.  Noble  2d  married  Rhoda  A. Kinder, 
1851,  Wm.  Noble  died  1890.  Rhoda 
A.  Noble  died  1901. 


Sallie  Noble  married  Jas. 
1876. 


M.  Andrews, 


Twiford  S.  Noble  married  Ruth  Hannah 
I,everton,  1848. 


Jaeob  It-  Noble,  M.  D.,  married  Manie 
Travers,  1877. 


Rufus  F.  Noble  married  Kate  B.  Sewell, 
1878. 


Twiford    S     Noble    married  Caroline 
Davis,  1854. 


Twiford  S.  Noble  married  L,evisa  Martin 
Rumbold.    Died  1882. 


Alex'r  Noble  married  Martha  Todd,  1882. 


Addie  Noble  married  Robert  Jarrell,  1877. 


Jane  Noble  married  Wm.  H.  Wright. 


T.  N.  Wright  married  Sina  Kinder,  1867. 


Sally  Wright  married  Tilghman  Davis. 
Died  1901. 


Louisa  Wright  married  Daniel  Moore. 


Jane  Noble  m.  J.T.Fleetwood.  Died  1879. 


Maggie  Wright  married  Eli  Gullett. 


Ida  Fleetwood  married  Will  Adams 


Sallie  TwiforcL  (Continued*) 


GREAT -GRANDCHILDREN 


GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHIXDREN 


Wm.  N.  Andrews  married  Bessie  Wal- 
worth 1 904 

>\UI  LI.  J.  )     1  t/VTXa 

Carrie  Andrews  married  F.  M.  Casson, 
1903. 

Mary  Andrews  married  J.  H.  Loux,  1904. 
Stephen  K.  Andrews.    Helen  Andrews. 
James  Andrews. 

Duncan  Noble. 

Levi  D.  L.  Noble  married  Jennie  Lake, 

1901. 
Ruth  H.  Noble. 

Mary  Noble  married  J.  A.  Reidy,  M.  D., 
1905. 

Clara  Noble  married  John  Payne,  1902. 
Inez  Noble     Maud  Noble.    Wm.  Noble. 
Jane  Noble.    John  Noble. 

Virginia  Lee  Noble. 

Rachel  Payne. 

T.  Sewell  Noble. 

Fannie  L.  Noble  married  Norman  Led- 

num,  1906. 
K.  Marie  Noble. 

Fannie  Jarrell  married  J.  R.  Downes,  M. 
D.,  1904. 

Mary  Jarrell  married  H.  W.  B.  Rowe,  M. 

D.,  19Q4. 
Addie  Jarrell.    Robert  Jarrell. 
Noble  Jarrell. 

Robert  Noble  Downes. 

Ella  Wnght  married  Samuel  Calloway. 
1891. 

Frank  Wright  married  Ida  Wheatley, 
1890. 

Ada  Wright  married  R.  Bozman,  1902. 
Died  1905. 

Fred  Wright  married  Laura  Stroup,1902. 

Will  Davis  married,  1902. 

Orra  Davis,  died  1885. 

Carrie  Davis  married  Henry  Wright. 

Daniel  K.Calloway.  Wm. Treat  Calloway. 
Amos  N.  Calloway.   Ksther  A.  Calloway. 

Clara  A  Wright,  died  1899. 
Sina  E.  Wright. 

Ramond  Bozman,  died  1905. 

Florence  Wright,  died  1891. 
Harlan  Wright.    Miriam  Wright. 

Mary  Moore  married  M.  Merriken,  1900. 
Harvey  Moore. 

Richard  Merriken.    Elizabeth  Merriken. 

Clinton  Gullett. 

Theodore  Adams. 

Descendants  of  Mark  Noble 


CHILDREN 

GRAND  CHILDREN 

GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 

Daniel  Noble  mar- 
ried Nancy  Lev- 
erton. 

Willi*  Noble  married 
Lizzie  Phillips. 

Isaac  Noble  married 
M.  B.  Corchran, 
died  1901. 

Bertie  Noble  married  Dr.  Wm.  Kelly, 

1889. 
Wilbnr  Noble. 

Chas.  Fulton  Noble  married  Cora  Willis, 
1900. 

Fred  Noble.    Edith  Noble. 

Amelia  Noble  mar- 
ried Robt.  Bland. 

Emma  Bland.    Klla  Bland. 
Chas.  Bland.    Geo.  Bland. 

Garey  L,. Noble,  died 
1863,  member  8th 
Md.Reg.U.  S.  Ser- 
vice, Civil  War. 

Daniel  James  Noble 
married  Caroline 
Nichols. 

! 

Julia  Noble  married  W.  S.  Holt. 

Geo.  K.  Noble  married  Alverda  Handy, 
1887. 

Geo. K.Noble  married  Grace  Handy,  1899. 

Garey  L,.  Noble  married  Miss  Head. 

Albert  Noble,  died. 

Mary  Noble  married  George  Morgan. 

Annie  Noble  married  Isaac  Cannon. 

Lewis  Noble    married  Emma  Dunkle- 
burgher.  

Nora  Noble  married  Harvey  Fountain. 

Nora  Noble  Fountain  married  Norman 
Van  Scoy. 

Alexander  Noble.  

Amantha  Noble  married  Albert  Cahall. 


Daniel  James  Noble 
married  Martha 
Carroll. 


Raymond  Noble. 


and  Esther  Adams 


GREAT  GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 


GREAT,  GREAT,  GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 


Carrie  Holt  married  Thomas  Hobbs. 
Katie  Holt.    Minnie  Holt. 
Mary  Holt. 
Ivouise  Holt. 


Fred  Noble. 

Bertha  Noble 

Alice  Noble. 

Sina  Noble. 

Clara  B.  Noble. 

Hubert  Otis  Noble. 

Annie  Noble 

Hubert  Noble. 

Benjamin  D.  Noble. 

Elmer  Noble. 

Noble  Morgan. 
Teresa  Morgan. 
Wesley  Morgan. 
Romain  Morgan, 
Mary  Morgan. 


Harold  Cannon. 
Edwin  Cannon. 
Albert  Cannon. 


Chester  Noble,  died. 


Pearl  Fountain. 

Ruth  Vanscoy. 
Wilber  Vanscoy. 


J.  Willard  Hobbs. 


Thomas  Cahall. 


Descendants  of  Mark  Noble  and 


CHILDREN 

GRANDCHILDREN 

GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 

Nathan  Noble  mar- 
ried Mary  Hub- 
bard. 

Henry  Noble  mar- 
ried Jane  Lewis. 
Died. 

Elisha  Noble  mar- 
r  i  e  d  Klizabeth 
Bennet. 

James  Noble. 

Joseph  Noble. 

Elezabeth  Noble 
married  Greenbu- 
ry  Nichols.  Died 
1906. 

 .  .  .  

Joshua  Nichols  married  Miss  Dukes. 

Walter  Nichols. 

Herbert  Nichols  married  Miss  Pool,  1904. 
J.  Allen  Nichols  married  Miss  Trice. 

j  Orra  Nichols  married  Miss  Wrightson. 
Nettie  Nichols  married  Mr.  Venable 

Joshua  Noble  mar- 
ried Ann  Mow- 
bray 1831.  Died 
1870. 

Joseph  M.  Noble 
married  Katherine 
wrignt,  loo4. 

Joshua  Noble,  died  1855. 

J.  Walter  Noble  married  K,  Smith,  1879. 

Twiford  Noble  married  Miss  Mowbray. 
Thomas  Noble  married  Miss  Perry. 
Kate  Noble  married  J.  W.  Lipscomb. 
Hettie  Noble  married  T.  C.  Pindell. 

Mark  E.  Noble  mar- 
ried Emily  Collins. 

Annie  Noble  married  Mr.  High. 
Married  Mr.  Henning,  1904.    Died  1904. 

Wm.  Alfred  Noble 
married  M  a  h  a  1  a 
Noble.  (See  Solo- 
mon Noble.) 

John  Henry  Noble 
married  Edna 
Flowers. 

J.  H.  Noble  married 
Lavenia  Corchran. 

Addie  Noble  married  L.  Hignutt. 

Chas.  Noble  married  Laura  Nichols. 

Laura  Noble  married  John  Smith. 

Albert  Noble  married  Miss  Marine. 

John  Noble  married  Miss  Andrews. 
Raymond  Noble. 

Esther  Adams*  (Continued.) 

GREAT  GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 

GREAT,  GREAT,  GREAT  GRANDCHILDREN 

Blanche  Nichols. 

Olivia  Noble. 
Iola  Noble. 
Wilmer  Noble. 

Glen  Noble. 

Eunice  Noble. 

Atnei  xiign  marnea  wm.  xiuriocK  lyyo. 

Clarence  Hignutt. 
Harland  Hignutt. 

Alice  Noble. 
Gertrude  Noble. 

Wm.  Smith. 
Charles  Smith. 


Descendants  of  Mark  Noble  and 


Amelia  Noble  mar- 
ried Cannon 
Charles. 


Isaac  Charles,  died. 


Jacob  Charles,  died 


Celia  Charles  mar- 
ried Chas.  Wright. 


Aaron  Wright  married  Amanda  Corbin. 


KHsha  Wright  married  Sallie  Voshell. 


Henry  Wright  married  Laura  Williams. 


Rebecca  Wright,  died. 

James  B.  Wright  married  Annie  Taylor. 

Mary  Wright  married  John  Fleetwood. 


Mary  Charles  mar- 
ried Peter  Wright. 
Died  1859. 


Jacob  Wright,  died. 


Sarah  Ellen  Wright  married  George  Ir- 
win.   Died  1905. 


Mary  C.  Wright  married  David  Hughes, 


Esther  Adams*  (Continued.) 


Fannie  Wright  married  Isaac  Willin. 

Gertrude  Willin.     Florence  Corbin  Wil- 
lin.   Marydell  Willin. 

Gertrude  Wright  married  Dr. R.Andrews. 

Florence  Belle  Andrews,  died  1§98. 
Walter  Melvin  Andrews. 
Raymond  Corbin  Andrews. 

Jennie  Wright  married  Hiram  Vaughn. 
Died  1905. 

Willie  Vaughn. 
Bessie  Vaughn. 

Mary  V.  Wright. 

Annie  Wright  married  William  Norris. 
Charles  Wright,  died  1895. 

Laura  Louise  Norris. 

Charles  Wright. 

Rufus  Fleetwood. 
Fred  Fleetwood. 
Wm.  Fleetwood. 

Mary  Lillian  Fleetwood,  died  1895. 

Susan  Irwin,  married  Harry  Porter. 

Frank  Porter. 
William  Porter. 

Ellen  Hughes. 
George  Hughes. 

